The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) is proud to announce that Concentric—already a partner of the Maine’s Department of Education (DOE) and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)—has joined forces with the MPA to spread the word about the easy-to-use, pooled COVID-19 testing at no cost to Maine schools.

Concentric currently offers pooled testing to more than 1,000 schools across the country, including 132 in Maine, and the company’s end-to-end program simplifies logistics and gives schools the data to make more informed decisions.

The program includes:

• Pooled testing: Pooling minimizes the burden on staff and the disruption to in-person learning, allowing for an entire classroom to be tested in less than 15 minutes
• Individual follow up testing: Rapid antigen testing is provided to conduct follow up testing on any positive pools
• On-site support: The program can be run using existing school resources, or Concentric can provide on-site support at no additional cost to schools

“We appreciate the efforts of the DHHS, DOE and Concentric to provide pooled testing as an asset to assist our schools this fall,” said Dr. Holly Couturier, Executive Director, Professional Division of the MPA. “We are pleased to assist our members with access to the science-based information, resources and best practices to protect the health of our school communities.”

Members of the Maine Principals’ Association are encouraged to learn more at a FREE Webinar:

When: Jul 28, 2021 at 2 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) COVID Testing Webinar
Register in advance for this webinar: https://bit.ly/MPA_PooledTestingWebinar

“Pooled testing is a powerful tool that Mainers can leverage to give students, teachers and families the confidence and data to continue or return to in-person learning safely and successfully,” Ginkgo Bioworks Chief Commercial Officer Matthew McKnight said. “We designed this program hand-in-hand with educators and public health leaders across the country. Our partnership with the Maine DOE and the Maine DHHS means that we can give communities the peace of mind and the information they need to make decisions about keeping kids in school this fall.”

QUESTIONS? Fill out a simple form here to be contacted with additional information.

LEARN MORE NOW: Click here to see pooled testing in action.

Click here to view the WGME coverage of Dover-Foxcroft’s unveiling of its COVID-19 testing: 'Pool' COVID-19 testing unveiled at Dover-Foxcroft schools | WGME

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