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Maine’s 2024 Teacher of the Year is ɫ����Ƶalum Joshua Chard.

Chard is a second and third-grade teacher at East End Community School in Portland and the drama director at Deering High School. He received his ­– K-6 Literacy from ɫ����Ƶ Online, the University’s College of Professional Studies, in 2009.

Chard was among five ɫ����Ƶ alumni who were named the Maine County Teachers of the Year in May.

“Joshua Chard embodies the qualities that make Maine teachers amazing, and we’re thrilled to honor him as Maine’s 2024 Teacher of the Year,” Maine Education Commissioner Pender Makin, herself a 1996 ɫ����Ƶ alum, said in a statement. “Today, we celebrate Joshua’s passion for teaching, his love for his students and public education, and his ability to make each and every person feel welcome and like they belong. Colleagues, parents, and community members describe Joshua as kind, loving, passionate, generous, and someone who finds joy in the uniqueness of each human.”

The  (MTOY) initiative is a program of the  and is administered by , a business-led organization working to advance educational attainment and readiness for work among all Mainers.

Chard told ɫ����Ƶ News in July that relationships are at the heart of everything he does as a teacher. He said he decided to teach elementary school because of his own experiences as an adolescent

“My (fifth grade) teacher, Mrs. Breau, was the kind of teacher who sees children. Being seen and being celebrated by my teacher made me want to do the same for others when I grew up,” Chard said. “I am a successful teacher because of the amazing teachers who came before me.”

He credited ɫ����Ƶ with providing rich discussions about teaching methods that further informed his thinking as a teacher.

“I was already a veteran educator when I began pursuing my degree (at ɫ����Ƶ); experienced teachers benefit and grow from pushing their thinking in a rigorous academic environment,” he said.