Katahdin Program students boil sap they collected.

Located within Windham High School, RSU 14’s Katahdin Program provides students from Windham and Raymond with an alternative learning environment centered on hands-on instruction, outdoor learning, community partnerships, and strong relationships with staff. Through individualized support and experiential learning opportunities, the program helps students reconnect with school, complete graduation requirements, and build pathways toward future success.

“Alternative education deserves recognition,” Katahdin Program Director Rich Meserve said. “Education has to be different for some students. Relationships, trust, and flexibility are often what help students reconnect.”

Meserve started working in alternative education unexpectedly after a career in the business world. While living in Massachusetts, he began tutoring students who were struggling in traditional school settings and quickly found himself drawn to the work. He accepted a position in an alternative education program and later returned to school to pursue teaching professionally.

Originally from Maine, Meserve moved back to the state in 2004 to work at the REAL School before helping to launch the Katahdin Program in 2016. Many of the staff members who helped build the REAL School program transitioned to the Katahdin Program, bringing more than 120 years of combined experience in alternative and experiential education.

“That consistency matters,” Meserve said. “Students and families get to know the people here, and those relationships build over time.”

A School Within a School

The Katahdin Program operates as a “school within a school” at Windham High School, with its own entrance and dedicated learning spaces designed to create a smaller, more personalized environment. Approximately 23 students in grades 9-12 attend the program each year.

Many students come to the Katahdin Program after experiencing challenges in traditional school settings, including lack of attendance, anxiety, academic disengagement, or struggles finding a sense of belonging in larger school environments. The Katahdin Program is intentionally structured to provide individualized support while helping students rebuild confidence and connection to school.

Katahdin Program students attend a five-hour school day from 8:40 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. and are transported by district vans, with transportation staff viewed as an important part of the overall support system. They are often the first and last people students interact with each day. The daily structure emphasizes consistency, communication, and community. Students and staff eat lunch together each day, using that time to strengthen relationships and practice communication and social skills.

“We really focus on the soft skills and relationship-building,” Meserve said. “The more we get to know our students, their situations, and their needs, the more successful they become.”

Academics Connected to Real-World Learning

Students complete graduation requirements and earn credits aligned with district and state standards while participating in interdisciplinary and experiential learning opportunities. Academic instruction emphasizes STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) and humanities while integrating outdoor education, practical skills, and community engagement.

Students often work in multi-grade classrooms with individualized supports tailored to their learning goals and academic needs.

“We try to make experiences part of the academics,” Meserve explained. “Whether it’s going to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston as part of a humanities unit on Ancient Egypt or interviewing veterans for the Library of Congress, those experiences are directly tied to learning.”

Project-based and community-based learning opportunities are embedded throughout the program. Students regularly participate in service projects across the region, including volunteering with local schools and food pantries, supporting older community members by stacking wood and delivering sand buckets in the winter, and partnering with organizations on environmental and outdoor stewardship projects.

The program also emphasizes practical and career-connected learning. Students have built picnic tables, birdhouses, trail infrastructure, and outdoor structures while developing teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Staff expertise helps expand these opportunities. Team members bring experience and certifications in wilderness first response, outdoor leadership, climbing, paddling, skiing, backpacking, and adventure-based counseling. Students participate in activities ranging from indoor and ice climbing to trail maintenance and outdoor leadership experiences.

“In the grand scheme of things, those experiences are just as important as what happens in the classroom,” Meserve said. “We want students learning through experiences as much as possible.”

Prioritizing Social-Emotional Support

The Katahdin Program places a strong emphasis on social-emotional support and restorative practices. The staffing team includes regular and special education teachers, counselors, educational support staff, a social work intern, and an administrator who work collaboratively to support students as whole individuals.

Counselors are embedded within the program and available throughout the day to support students with challenges both inside and outside of school. Staff maintain regular communication with families and work to build trust and partnership with caregivers.

“Many students and families come to us after difficult experiences in school,” Meserve said. “We work hard to build trust and create a true partnership with families.”

The program uses restorative practices as its primary approach to conflict resolution and accountability. Rather than focusing primarily on punishment, staff work with students to repair harm, reflect on situations, and rebuild relationships when challenges arise.

“Growth is a big piece of what we do here,” Meserve said. “Restoring harm and helping students move forward is important.”

Community Partnerships Strengthen Opportunities

Community partnerships have played a major role in expanding opportunities for students while helping reduce barriers to participation. Meserve credits years of relationship-building, grant writing, and community support for helping sustain many of the program’s experiential learning opportunities.

Students participate in partnerships and projects with local organizations, outdoor programs, food pantries, and community groups throughout the region. The program also relies on community donations, fundraising, and partnerships to expand access to outdoor equipment and learning experiences.

“We’ve been fortunate to have incredible support from our district, school board, and community,” Meserve said. “That support allows us to provide opportunities students may not otherwise have.”

Supporting Student Success Beyond Graduation

Meserve said attendance, engagement, and confidence often improve significantly after students join the program, with most graduates moving on to employment, college, military service, or other postsecondary pathways.

This year, the program will celebrate seven graduates, all of whom are currently employed, with several also pursuing college opportunities.

For Meserve, the success of the Katahdin Program reflects a broader commitment within RSU 14 to support students through flexible and innovative approaches to learning.

“I’m continually amazed by the foresight and commitment of district leadership and the school board,” Meserve said. “This program exists because people believe all students deserve opportunities to succeed.”

As schools across Maine continue to explore ways to support students with diverse strengths and needs, programs like the Katahdin Program demonstrate the important role alternative education can play in helping students build confidence, develop meaningful connections, and experience success in school and beyond.

This story was written in collaboration with Windham High School (RSU 14) as part of an ongoing series to highlight alternative education programs across Maine. For more information about alternative education, please visit the Maine DOE Alternative Education webpage. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.

Zenith Alternative Education Program students carve pumpkins.

At Camden Hills Regional High School, part of Five Town Community School District (CSD), an off-site alternative education learning community is redefining what high school can look like for students seeking a more personalized, project-based path.

Located at Rose Hall in Camden, the Zenith Alternative Education Program serves students in grades 10-12 through a model rooted in flexibility, relationships, and experiential learning. While the setting differs from a traditional high school, students at Zenith earn the same diploma and meet the same graduation requirements as their peers at Camden Hills Regional High School.

What differs is the approach.

“Traditional high school experiences can feel like conveyor belts in many ways,” Zenith teacher and coordinator Mae Applegate said. “It’s already mapped out, and it’s your job as a student to stay on it. Alternative education is responsive. It’s flexible. It’s built around the students who are actually in front of you.”

Applegate joined public alternative education during the 2025-2026 school year after years of approaching education through a nontraditional lens.

“One of the first questions in my interview was, ‘What brings you to alternative education?’” Applegate said. “My answer was that I’ve always been alternative. It’s the way I approach education and learning.”

Zenith currently serves approximately 20 students, with enrollment fluctuating throughout the year as students transition in and out of the program. Students attend by choice and complete a multi-step application process that includes shadow days, reflective activities, and interviews with staff and family members.

The intentional admissions process reflects the program’s philosophy: Students are active participants in shaping their own educational experience.

Learning Through Experience

At the Zenith Alternative Education Program, courses are organized into interdisciplinary nine-week units that combine academic standards with hands-on learning and real-world experiences.

In a recent history course exploring the cultural and historical significance of food, students brainstormed topics of interest, voted on areas to study, and helped shape the direction of the class. One particular unit in this class included apple dissections, pie baking for community donations during Thanksgiving, and learning about apple preservation methods.

“We’re always asking how we can connect learning to authentic experiences,” Applegate said. “Students are meeting graduation standards, but they’re doing it through projects and collaboration.”

Cross-curricular learning is also central to the program’s design. During one interdisciplinary unit, students explored the physics of sound in science and math classes, led by Zenith’s science and math teacher John Van Dis, by designing and building their own speakers and instruments. At the same time, students participated in an English songwriting course that blended scientific inquiry with creative expression. At the end of their coursework, students visited the local elementary school to share their instruments and creative processes with younger students while demonstrating the science behind sound and vibration.

“The elementary students loved having the high schoolers come in,” Applegate said. “It became a meaningful experience where our students were seen as leaders and mentors.”

Another recent course, “Star Wars: Physics Strikes Back,” expanded upon student interest to explore scientific concepts. As part of this class, students visited the planetarium at the University of Maine, combining academic content with exposure to a college campus and future pathways.

“It was both a science experience and a life experience,” Applegate said. “For some students, it was also an opportunity to imagine themselves in a four-year college environment.”

Building Community Through Leadership

Relationships are a foundational part of the Zenith Alternative Education Program, and students are encouraged to contribute actively to the community around them. Every day starts and ends with a community circle, including gratitude and reflective exercises. On Wednesdays, students participate in a dedicated “Community Day” focused on leadership, collaboration, and culinary programming. Students help plan and prepare meals, manage grocery budgets, lead lunch preparation, and support cleanup responsibilities.

This year, students have also spent time revisiting and redefining the program’s community agreements—the shared values that guide how students and staff interact.

“When I arrived, there were 10 community agreements,” Applegate said. “Some students could explain some of them clearly, and others couldn’t name more than three. We realized we needed to better define who we are as a community.”

Through discussions, writing exercises, debates, and collaborative activities, students distilled the program’s values into a single guiding acronym: GROWTH.

“We knew that if students are coming to Zenith, they’re committing to growth,” Applegate said.

Students are now collaboratively determining what each letter in GROWTH represents through structured discussions and community voting. Two values that quickly emerged were “gratitude” and “welcoming.”

“When students come for shadow days, we want to clearly articulate what being here is all about,” Applegate said. “How do we, as students and staff, live our collective values every day?”

A Different Path, the Same Diploma

Students in the Zenith Alternative Education Program can participate in hybrid schedules, attending classes at Camden Hills Regional High School or programs through the Mid-Coast School of Technology, while remaining enrolled in Zenith.

Some students attend Zenith full-time, while others begin on alternating-day schedules. The flexibility allows staff to individualize supports, while helping students maintain connections to broader school opportunities.

Weekly social work services, close collaboration with counselors, and strong staff relationships also help students navigate challenges both inside and outside the classroom.

“Relationship is really the core pillar of this work,” Applegate said.

The program, funded through Five Town CSD, has existed for more than two decades. Staff members continue working to increase awareness about and understanding of the program among families, faculty, and the broader school community through newsletters, outreach, and presentations.

“There are more than 700 students at the high school, and many stakeholders do not fully understand what happens here,” Applegate said. “We want people to know that what we do here is highly engaged learning. Our students are doing important academic and character work.”

For staff and students alike, Zenith represents more than an alternative education setting. The community is like an extended family, with its own quirks and inside jokes.

“It’s a different way of doing things,” Applegate said. “It’s cool; it’s interesting; and I love it.”

This story was written in collaboration with Camden Hills Regional High School (Five Town CSD) as part of an ongoing series to highlight alternative education programs across Maine. For more information about alternative education, please visit the Maine DOE Alternative Education webpage. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.

Mountain Valley Middle School alternative education students and teachers Shane Smith and Anthony Mazza gather for a group selfie.

At Mountain Valley Middle School, students in the alternative education program begin each day with breakfast before heading to the gym to reset, move, and prepare for learning. They then gather in a morning circle to review schedules, discuss upcoming activities, reflect on current events, and practice strategies for managing stress and conflict. Co-alternative education teachers Shane Smith and Anthony Mazza use these routines to create consistency, strengthen relationships, and set a positive tone for the day.

Each day of the alternative education program at Mountain Valley Middle School begins with breakfast, a movement break, and a morning circle.

For many students, the program offers a learning environment built around connection, structure, and support. Launched during the 2023-2024 school year for grades 6-8, the program was designed to provide a flexible, relationship-centered approach for students who benefit from a different path to success than a traditional classroom setting may provide.

“We built the ship as we were sailing it,” Smith said.

What began as a new and evolving program quickly developed through reflection, collaboration, and responsiveness to student needs. During the program’s early stages, students and staff temporarily worked out of a recreation center while school buildings underwent mold remediation. This required creativity and adaptability from everyone involved.

“At the time, we were figuring everything out in real time,” Smith said. “We had difficult days, but we kept reflecting, adjusting, and learning from what students needed.”

The program now operates within the main school building. It’s a transition staff say has strengthened students’ sense of inclusion and connection to the larger school community.

“We’re visible now,” Smith said. “Our students are part of the school community. They aren’t separated or hidden away.”

Building Learning Around Relationships, Engagement, and Community

From the beginning, Smith and Mazza designed the alternative education program as an environment where students feel engaged in their learning.

“It’s important that this isn’t a dumping ground,” Smith said. “We want students to feel supported, challenged, and connected.”

The program serves approximately 14 students with a student-to-staff ratio of about seven to one. Students follow a full-day schedule that blends academics, structured supports, and experiential learning opportunities designed to make coursework accessible and meaningful. Core instruction is adapted to meet a range of academic needs. Smith and Mazza use shorter instructional segments, guided practice, and frequent feedback to help students build confidence and remain engaged.

Project-based and place-based learning are also central to the program. Students participate in activities such as designing aquaponics systems, bridge-building challenges, 3D printing, and explorations of local Rumford history that connect classroom concepts to real-world experiences. Collaborative writing, journaling, and creative projects are also implemented regularly to encourage self-expression and communication.

Mountain Valley Middle School alternative education students engage in hands-on, real-world learning experiences—planting seedlings, sorting historical events into patterns of change, and building bridges—applying high-interest activities to strengthen the acquisition and application of knowledge.

“We want learning to feel connected to something real,” Smith said. “Not just something happening on paper.”

Students regularly participate in field trips, outdoor learning opportunities, guest speaker visits, and service-learning projects that extend learning beyond the classroom. They also contribute through volunteering, food pantry support, and local clean-up efforts, while activities such as hiking and trail walks provide opportunities for reflection, teamwork, and personal growth.

Mountain Valley Middle School alternative education students and teachers Shane Smith and Anthony Mazza fill the community wood-bank and conduct clean-up efforts. These measures help students feel connected to their local community.

“A lot of our students are confined to a small part of town,” Smith said. “Getting outside, exploring, volunteering, and connecting learning to the community makes a huge difference.”

Mountain Valley Middle School alternative education students explore both their local and broader community through experiential, outdoor learning opportunities. Smith shared that, “Being outside lowers stress and cortisol and increases serotonin and happiness levels. Time spent outside improves focus and invites exploration, questioning, and discovery. It’s ever-changing, multi-sensory, and novel. Our trips are challenging and require persistence. Nature is the antidote to heavy screen time and the quick dopamine it provides.”

Across subjects, the focus extends beyond academic completion to helping students develop persistence, confidence, and a stronger sense of belonging in school.

Supporting the Whole Student

Alongside academics, the alternative education program prioritizes emotional regulation, relationship building, and student wellness. Structured morning meetings help students prepare for the day while creating routines that foster stability and predictability.

When students become overwhelmed, Smith and Mazza focus on helping them regulate and re-engage. Students may take a walk or use breathing strategies before returning to instruction. Movement and physical activity are intentionally built into the schedule, giving students opportunities to reset and return to learning more focused and ready to engage.

Mountain Valley Middle School alternative education students take quick breaks outdoors (jumping into a pile of fall leaves) and indoors (engaging in “A Gentle Rain,” a silent, collaborative tile-laying game designed to help ground and regulate students before their next class).

The program also incorporates counseling support provided by the school’s counseling and social work teams, helping students build practical coping and communication skills. Smith and Mazza work closely with families and outside providers when needed, recognizing that strong support systems play an important role in student success.

Mountain Valley Middle School alternative education students participate in a daily wellness class twice a week when Sydney Rowe, middle school counselor, helps them to build emotional intelligence skills.

“One thing we’ve learned is that we can’t do this work alone,” Smith said. “Students need systems of support around them.”

As schools across Maine continue exploring ways to support students with diverse strengths and needs, alternative education programs like the one at Mountain Valley Middle School highlight how alternative education can provide innovative, student-centered environments where relationships, flexibility, and meaningful engagement help students build confidence, reconnect with learning, and experience success.

Co-alternative education teachers Mazza and Smith wear matching, handmade crochet sweaters. They say they’re looking forward to the 2026-2027 school year as they continue to grow and craft their middle school alternative education program.

This story was written in collaboration with Mountain Valley Middle School (RSU 10) as part of an ongoing series to highlight alternative education programs across Maine. For more information about alternative education, please visit the Maine DOE Alternative Education webpage. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.

Members of the REACH School gather around founder the late Dot McMahan.

The Rural Educational Alternative Community Middle/High (REACH) School in Bucksport is a private, nonprofit alternative middle and high school program designed to meet students where they are academically, socially, and emotionally. Serving students from RSU 25—which includes Bucksport, Orland, Prospect, and Verona Island—as well as surrounding communities, the REACH School provides an alternative learning environment centered on engagement, relationships, and individualized support for students who have struggled to find success in traditional school settings.

Within a small, community-based environment, students at the REACH School reconnect with learning through hands-on instruction, consistent relationships, and real-world application. The REACH School emphasizes student responsibility for academic progress, personal growth, and goal setting, while fostering collaboration among students, families, staff, and the broader community.

Leadership and Student Connection

The REACH School director and teacher Seth Laplant joined the program in 2020 after nearly two decades working in education.

“Students can’t really learn until they feel comfortable and curious,” Laplant said.

In his dual role at the program, Laplant said he has noticed that many students arrive having experienced long-term academic and personal challenges that affected their confidence in school.

“What many of them share is that they’ve stopped believing they can be successful in school,” Laplant said.

Teacher Holly Cough began working at the school as a volunteer before transitioning into a full-time teaching role. She now works alongside Laplant, supporting students through academic instruction and social-emotional learning.

Cough said the focus of their work is on rebuilding confidence by creating an environment where students feel safe enough to take risks.

“When students stop being afraid to fail, they start taking chances again,” Cough said.

Program Background and Approach

The REACH School was founded in 1987 by a group of educators to provide both adult and alternative education. Later, the program narrowed its focus solely to alternative education. Over time, the school developed a model centered on individualized instruction, student responsibility, and community connection.

Many students who attend the program have experienced anxiety, interrupted educational pathways, or difficulty engaging in larger school environments.

“There’s really no typical alternative education student,” Laplant said. “What we see is a wide range of needs but a shared experience of being disconnected from school.”

Instruction, Learning Structure, and Applied Learning

The REACH School provides flexible instruction for students in grades 7-12, with learners often working across multiple academic levels within the same classroom. Core academic areas include English, mathematics, science, and social studies, with an emphasis on individualized pacing, credit attainment, and applied learning aligned with graduation requirements.

Rather than progressing through content in a single sequence, students work across different skill levels based on their needs and progress.

“We’re looking at how students are engaging in the learning, not just whether they complete something,” Laplant said. “It shifts the focus toward growth and participation.”

That approach shapes daily instruction. Teachers use a blend of direct instruction, small-group collaboration opportunities, discussion-based learning, and independent work, allowing students multiple ways to access content and demonstrate understanding. Mathematics instruction ranges from “Math for Life,” which emphasizes financial literacy and real-world application, to algebra, geometry, and advanced independent study. English instruction spans foundational literacy development through college and career writing preparation.

Project-based learning is also embedded throughout instruction and used to connect academic content to real-world applications. Through Project REACH, students take on large-scale, student-led initiatives that require planning, collaboration, budgeting, and execution.

“These projects give students ownership over something real,” Cough said. “They’re not just completing assignments. They’re building something together.”

Recent examples include a student-run haunted house, developed after “Fright at the Fort” at Fort Knox was discontinued, where students organized, designed, and operated a community event. Smaller classroom projects also extend learning opportunities, including a “Little Free Art Library,” designed, built, and painted by students for community art exchange.

Across classes, students regularly engage in group discussion, brainstorming, and collaborative problem-solving before transitioning into independent work.

“We hold students to high expectations,” Laplant said. “But we also meet them where they are.”

Life Skills, Responsibility, and Career Readiness

The REACH School integrates life skills instruction through “Adulting 101,” which includes budgeting, transportation, laundry, and independent living skills.

Students also participate in structured career exploration to support postsecondary planning and workplace readiness.

A defining feature of the program is shared responsibility for maintaining the school environment. With no custodial staff, students rotate duties such as cleaning, organizing, and maintaining shared spaces. This structure is intended to build accountability, independence, and real-world responsibility.

Student Support and Mentorship

The REACH School provides academic and social-emotional supports through school staff and community partnerships, reflecting broader statewide efforts to strengthen coordinated student support systems in alternative education settings.

The program partners with organizations such as Healthy Acadia and RSU 25 to provide access to recovery coaching, counseling supports, and social work services. These partnerships supplement available supports, particularly as demand for mental health and behavioral services continues to increase.

“It has helped us identify needs earlier and respond more quickly,” Cough said.

Within the school, additional support is provided through regular check-ins between staff and students focused on academic progress, well-being, and personal goals. Staff said these conversations are valuable for maintaining connection and early awareness of student needs, although capacity for formalized support remains limited.

As student needs continue to grow across alternative education programs statewide, educators say schools are increasingly relying on coordinated systems that combine school-based staff with regional providers to expand access without additional dedicated resources.

Due to the school’s small size, peer mentorship also plays a visible role in daily life. Students who have been in the program for a longer amount of time often support newer students as they adjust to academic expectations, routines, and the school environment.

“We see students supporting each other in meaningful ways,” Laplant said.

School Culture and Daily Structure

Community-building is embedded in daily routines at the REACH School.

Each morning begins with a schoolwide meeting where students and staff participate in a “Question of the Day,” share updates, and engage in discussion. Topics often include personal experiences, school events, and broader social-emotional themes.

“As teachers, we participate in those conversations, too,” Cough said. “It helps build trust and openness across the school.”

Students who arrive late receive a shortened version of the meeting to remain connected to daily dialogue.

The school maintains traditions and student-led activities throughout the year, supporting connection, belonging, and engagement.

Post-Graduation Pathways

Graduates of the REACH School pursue a wide range of pathways, including college, technical training, employment, travel, volunteer service, and creative careers. Many remain connected to the program after graduation through volunteering or continued involvement with school activities.

Teachers and families often report increased confidence and independence among students who have completed the program.

“We hear from families and former teachers that students are completely different when they leave here than when they arrived,” Cough said.

As alternative education continues to evolve across Maine, the REACH School highlights how engagement-based instruction, real-world learning, shared responsibility, and strong relationships can help students reconnect with education and move toward meaningful future pathways.

This story was written in collaboration with Rural Educational Alternative Community Middle/High (REACH) School as part of an ongoing series to highlight alternative education programs across Maine. For more information about alternative education, please visit the Maine DOE Alternative Education webpage. To submit a good news story to the Maine DOE, please fill out the good news submission form.