Portland, ME

Hometowns Program

Summer 2026

Investigate local Sixth Amendment case United States v. Fanfan (2005).

Apply Now

Application Due May 4, 2026 11:59 pm

Investigate the Supreme Court case United States v. Fanfan (2005). Participate in a free week-long program in conjunction with the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine and the University of Maine School of Law. The Hometowns program includes:

Expert speakers from your community
Panel discussions with judges, attorneys, and other court staff
Live court proceedings
Collaborative learning activities

Create a collaborative capstone project to educate your community about the case’s impact. Lunch, snacks, and Supreme Court swag will be provided to all participants.

Program Details

Date: July 20–24

Location: Edward T. Gignoux U.S. Courthouse

Important: Please submit your academic reference via the online submission form at the bottom of this page by the application deadline: May 4, 2026.

Learn about the Supreme Court in your Hometown

Explore a local Sixth Amendment case
Collaborate with students from across your district
Network with Federal Judges, area attorneys, historians, and local advocates
Educate your community about its history with a capstone project

Eligibility

To apply for Hometowns Maine, students must:

Be a current or rising 10th, 11th, or 12th grader
Be able to attend all sessions in-person
Obtain 1 (one) academic reference

I would definitely recommend Hometowns to any student who wants to learn about the Supreme Court and I encourage everyone to join the program even if they don’t know anything about it. When I applied I didn’t know anything about the judicial branch, now I’m explaining to my dad how it works and why they grant certiorari to some cases and not to others.

Josue M.

My favorite part of Hometowns was sitting/meeting with the lawyers. I liked the hands-on activities we did with them, being able to learn from them, and ask them questions. We had good discussions and conversations with them. Also being able to apply what we learned in these activities.

Julia D.

DOWNLOADS

Maine Hometown Flyer 2026
Document

Still have questions? We’re here to help.

Email Nicole Maffei, Director of Civics Education, at [email protected].

Email Nicole

Hometowns Application

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

Telephone Number (where best to reach you):

Date of Birth

Age

High School

Grade Level

Home Address:

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

Allergy/Dietary Concerns or Restrictions:

Additional Questions

Use of AI during the application process, beyond basic grammar, is strongly discouraged. We seek to read genuine and unique submissions, not content generated by AI. Please note words limits on certain prompts. Any words that exceed the limit will not be considered.

How did you hear about the Supreme Court and My Hometown Program?

Who is writing your Academic Letter of Reference? Why did you choose that individual? (100 words max)

What interests you about the judicial branch? (Max 250 words)

you that you?

What type of student are you? Why should we select you for this program? (Max 250 words)

Why do you want to participate in this program? (Max 500 words)

Students applying to the Hometowns Program may submit their letter of recommendation separately from their application. Feel free to share the link with your recommender. All letters of recommendation are due by the application close date.

Letter of Recommendation – Portland, ME