University of Maine at Fort Kent

On February 21, 1878, Governor Selden Connor signed an act establishing a teachers' school in the northern border region of the state (then known as the Madawaska territory) in an effort to Americanize the French settlers of the area. [ 3 ] This became known as the Madawaska Training School. The institution held its first classes on September 30, 1878. [ 2 ] In 1955 the name was changed to "Fort Kent Normal School" to more precisely reflect its location. The name would change three more times, beginning in 1961 to become "Fort Kent State Teachers College" and then "Fort Kent State College". The institution adopted its current name in 1970. [ 3 ]

UMFK hosts an annual Fiddlers Jamboree where fiddlers, guitarists, banjo pickers, drummers and accordion players from both Canada and the United States perform. [ 4 ] [ 5 ]

More information Race and ethnicity, Total ... Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023 [ 6 ] Race and ethnicity Total White 67% International student 11% Black 8% Two or more races 5% Hispanic 4% Unknown 3% American Indian / Alaska Native 1% Asian 1% Economic diversity Low-income [ a ] 26% Affluent [ b ] 74% Close The college offers several academic programs including 4 Associate of Science degrees, 1 Bachelor of Arts , and 14 Bachelor of Science degrees.

The Maine–Fort Kent (UMFK) athletic teams are called the Bengals. The college is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), primarily competing as an Independent since the 2011–12 academic year. [ 10 ] The Bengals previously participated in the Sunrise Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 2002–03 to 2010–11. [ 11 ] UMFK competes in seven intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include basketball, soccer and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, soccer, track & field and volleyball. UMFK also has a number of intramural teams. [ 12 ] Soccer The varsity men's soccer team won the USCAA National Championship in 2010 and 2015. It was runner up at the 2013 and 2014 tournaments. The varsity "Lady Bengals " women's soccer team won the USCAA National Championship in 2010 and 2011, and then every year from 2013 to 2017, and again in 2019.