New Regional ELO Program Is Growing Tomorrow’s Real Estate Professionals

Students in the southern Maine regional ELO real estate program gather for a group picture.

A new regional Extended Learning Opportunity (ELO) pilot has given students in southern Maine a firsthand look at careers in real estate, demonstrating how strategic partnerships between schools and local businesses can expand career-connected learning opportunities across several school districts while helping students build valuable professional networks.

The program was developed through a partnership between local ELO Coordinators, including Katie Schilnder, who led the coordination, and Katy Foley, Keller Williams Realty CEO and broker, who served as the lead community partner. Foley was an impactful lead; in addition to her expertise in real estate, she previously worked at JMG (Jobs for Maine Graduates) and has developed ELOs for several years. With support from a Maine Community Coordinators Collaboration (Maine C3) Sunshine Mini Grant, the program brought together 21 students from Portland High School, Deering High School, Greely High School, South Portland High School, Scarborough High School, Yarmouth High School, Freeport High School, and Cape Elizabeth High School to explore careers within the real estate industry.

The semester-long program was held at the Keller Williams office in Portland and introduced students to a wide range of real estate-related professions. Through weekly sessions, students learned about residential and commercial sales, lending, title services, property management, inspections, and other business operations. Students were able to hear directly from industry professionals, participate in hands-on learning experiences, and gain exposure to how brokers and other real estate professionals handle transactions from the beginning to the end.

“One thing that impressed me the most was that not once did I see a young person who needed to put their phone away,” Schindler said. She described how, over the course of the ELO, the youth were incredibly attentive, which spoke volumes about the program’s quality and engagement.

In addition to more traditional classroom learning, students had the opportunity to engage in job shadowing and earn industry-recognized licenses by completing coursework. Some students have even gone on to earn their real estate licenses.

This program, made possible through the partnership of schools, local businesses, organizations, and educators, highlights the growing role of ELO models in expanding access to career-connected learning and pathways—not only in individual communities but across regions.

Real estate-focused ELOs are available to students beyond southern Maine. In western Maine, Vivienne from Telstar High School developed a strong interest in real estate, and her ELO Coordinator, Carrie Lynch, developed an ELO to support her goals and interests and provide hands-on career exploration.

Here is what Vivienne shared about her experience:

Through my ELO, I had the unique chance to intern at Wheelers Insurance while also using my time to study for and earn my Maine Real Estate Sales Agent license. My favorite part of my ELO was the strong feeling of accomplishment and the knowledge I gained along the way. I especially enjoyed seeing what careers in insurance and real estate truly look like on a day-to-day basis, rather than just learning about them in a classroom. The greatest benefit of my ELO was earning my sales agent license after passing both the national and state exams on my first try, which is an opportunity I would not have had at such a young age without the support of this program and my ELO Coordinator, Mrs. Lynch. I chose this ELO because I carefully considered what would best prepare me for life after graduation and what skills would have the greatest long-term impact on my future. Even if I decide not to pursue insurance or real estate as a career, the communication, professionalism, and real-world business skills I developed will benefit me in many areas of my life. I gained invaluable in-person experience and a deeper understanding of professional expectations from working with a highly reputable agency. This program has already helped shape my future, and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity it provided.

As students completed the program and presented their final projects for the regional ELO, they left with a better understanding of the real estate industry, professional connections, and workplace experience to bridge the gap between their interest in an occupation and a future career in it. The success of the Regional Real Estate ELO offers, as Scarborough High School ELO Coordinator Christy Zavasnik put it, “a great model to build on in other regions and a very popular field of interest with many pathways and possibilities.”

Through this series of intentional and thorough career-connected learning sessions, students gained a deeper understanding of the skills, training, and career pathways available within the industry.

This article was written by Vagni Das, a rising senior at Yarmouth High School. As part of her extended learning experience, she is interning at the Maine DOE. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.