BETHEL – Chris Sweet, producer of Maine Public Broadcasting Network programs, will speak on a proposed new outreach Internet project at a meeting of Down Home Maine from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, in the Gehring House library, 77 Broad St.

The program is co-sponsored by Western Mountains Senior College and the Bethel Historical Society, and the public is invited.

MPBN is collaborating with the Osher Lifelong Learning Program of the Maine Senior College Network, and Sweet is project manager for the effort. The major objective is to select program content originated by Maine’s Senior Colleges and present it on a new MBPN lifelong learning Internet service at MPBN.net.

Peter Gartner, Western Mountains Senior College co-chairman and program chairman, said, “The implications of this exciting new service on MPBN are marvelous and many; and Chris Sweet will ignite your enthusiasm for this next phase in the evolution of learning.”

Gartner added, “WMSC is but one of 16 senior colleges located throughout Maine. Exemplary programming initiated from any senior college might then be shared.”

Sweet has been producing cultural content on MPBN for the past nine years. In addition to his work with lifelong learning, he serves as executive producer for the new MPBN history series, “Maine Experience.”

He was also the executive producer for such programs as “Home: The Story of Maine,” “Made in Maine” and “True North,” and was the producer on “Flowing Past: The Kennebec and Dead River” and “Road Diaries.” He is a Maine native, born and raised in Farmington.

The Senior College initiated the Down Home Maine series last year to ask creative and adventurous Maine people to give presentations in an informal setting. The program is offered free and is open to the public. However, voluntary contributions are accepted to offset senior college expenses. Refreshments are served.

For more information, call Gartner at 665-2181 or Seabury Lyon at 836-2576.