Beloved Summer School Program Helps Midcoast Students Grow and Thrive

On a rainy summer day in Washington, Maine, students filed into the cozy main building of Camp Medomak. Looking around at the room full of smiling faces and picnic tables covered in books, games, and crafts, you may assume you’re at classic summer camp. However, these students are here for RSU 40’s Summer School program.

The RSU 40 Summer School program, now in its third successful year, was one of over sixty Summer Learning and Enrichment programs that ran from June to August of 2024. Using Federal Emergency Relief Funding, the Maine Department of Education funded Summer Learning and Enrichment programs to address k-12 students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs over the summer break.

“A lot of kids in very rural locations, sometimes with grinding poverty, face a lot of barriers, chief among them the trauma of isolation,” explained RSU 40 Assistant Superintendent Tom Gray. “Here, they are having rich experience. Safe experiences. They have access to things they’ve never done before. They can be themselves. They can let their guard down when they learn. They can be successful. We know, both intuitively and from all of the research, that when kids experience success, it sets them up to have more success. So that is really the aim here. And that’s what we’re seeing.”

“If I wasn’t here, I would probably just be watching TV at home,” explained a returning student named Abby. “I like coming here instead, seeing my friends and teachers from school.”

Like many programs in Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response, the RSU 40 Summer School program prioritizes underserved students and students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was created by RSU 40 to aid students’ post-pandemic recovery by offering extra math and literacy instruction, tutoring, and outdoor learning.

“Students have a rotation of five activities, so while we do have writing and math every day, they choose what the other three-fifths of their days look like,” explained Co-Director and Medomak Middle School Art Educator Sherry Casas. “They know, if they’re writing postcards home from camp, that’s writing; if they’re playing Yahtzee and Farkle, that’s math; and when they’re building structures with spaghetti and marshmallows, that is STEM. While they’re doing these things and having fun, they also are empowered knowing they have activities available to them that they’ve said, ‘that is what I’m interested in.’”

Students’ interests spanned from paddle boarding to quilting this year. They could choose from traditional summer camp activities, like swimming and crafting, or take a chance at something new, such as acting or gardening.

“Many of these kids do not have access to things like paddle boarding or pedal boats or even swimming and fishing. We offer so many high-interest activities because they are unavailable to our students at any other time in their life,” said DeAnn Vigue, whom the campers lovingly call Yaya.

“I love camp because it’s in Maine,” said Daniel, a returning student. “I play tennis, swim, and went on a canoe for the first time.”

“It’s quite fun here,” said Amy, a student in her third year of the program. “And it’s preparing me for middle school.”

Amy is one of many upcoming seventh graders at the camp. For herself and many of her classmates entering Medomak Middle School in the fall, RSU 40’s Summer School program is an opportunity to bond with new classmates.

“When we started, this whole thing was only for fourth, fifth, and sixth graders, and I came up with the idea of having the outgoing sixth graders come back as seventh graders. So, they could build that relationship before they start at [Medomak],” explained Vigue. “We just found out one of our groups will be in the same school wing when they hit the middle school, which we didn’t know when we put them together.”

The true testament to how beloved RSU’s summer program has become is the educators and students who come back year after year.

“This could not have happened if the educators here weren’t passionate about this program,” commented Superintendent Gray. “It has given educators the opportunity to be alive and impassioned. And that’s really, really valuable.”

Hannah Fecteau was a previous camper who got involved in the program and now comes back as a volunteer. “I enjoy making connections with the kids, and since I’m also younger, I just kind of easily connect with them. And I enjoy helping them out,” she shared.

Quinn Overlock, an RSU 40 graduate and Biochemistry major at Colby College, is in her third year in the program. She shared that she keeps returning to work at the RSU Summer School program because “seeing the growth of some of the kids is so rewarding. We’ve had many of these kids for all three years, and seeing where they were socially and academically and then seeing where they are now, you can see that growth.”

The American Rescue Plan Act funded all Summer Learning and Enrichment programs as a part of Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response. You can visit the DOE website here for more information on the Summer Learning and Enrichment Grant and Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response.

St. George School Receives Production Grant to Create Immersive Field Trips

St. George MSU Seal St. George Municipal School Unit (MSU) Superintendent, Mike Felton, applied for a production grant through an organization called CareerViewXR last year. After an application and interview process, the PK-8 school was selected as one of three winning schools from across the United States. The prizes awarded to the school included one 12-month subscription to the CareerViewXR platform, two HTC VIVE virtual reality headsets, and two field trips produced in their region.

CareerViewXR works with students, educators, businesses, and state agencies to develop immersive virtual reality experiences that allow students to explore careers across sectors – especially in the trades and technical fields. Using footage of real professionals doing real work in real world work environments, they create interactive, web-based field trips that can be accessed by any device as well as virtual reality videos for VR headsets.

The two companies that will be featured in the virtual field trips in Maine are Steel-Pro, in Rockland and Cushman Lobster Corporation in Port Clyde. Through the grant prize, St. George MSU students will also have access to virtual field trips in other locations across the United States.

Felton shared that he felt fortunate for the opportunity to be working with CareerViewXR and that he is looking forward to “working together to find new ways to innovate, engage students, and support our local businesses.”

The collaboration aligns with St. George MSU’s Career & Technical Education (CTE)/ Makerspace Project – a partnership with MidCoast School of Technology to develop a PreK-12 CTE Program and construct a CTE/Makerspace Building next to St. George School. The new building will have a shop space for carpentry, metalworking, and boatbuilding as well as a Makerspace with 3D printers, laser cutters, CNC routers, robotics, and sewing machines. The goal for the project is to provide a model for transforming education by ensuring all students, PreK-12, have access to hands-on and minds-on, technical learning connected to career and community.

Through Steel-Pro, students will be immersed in the manufacturing of stainless-steel tanks, biopharmaceutical equipment, vacuum chambers and other custom designed equipment. “Steel-Pro being 100% Employee Owned, we’re all about our employees and that includes our future employees,” stated Steve Ladd, Steel-Pro President and CEO. “Collaborating with St George MSU, giving kids exposure to hands-on technical career opportunities has been an awesome experience. We are thankful to St George for letting us take part in their CTE journey.”

Aboard the Fishing Vessel RYLEEFINN with Michael Cushman and Cassie Clough, students be able to experience what it’s like rising before dawn to spend the day hauling lobster traps in Penobscot Bay. “We are very happy to be helping with this project,” shared Cassie Clough.

“Our hope in being involved from the fishing side is to show that even with all of the challenges this industry is facing (over regulations, offshore wind, etc.), it can still be a career worth pursuing. Our coastal communities in Maine rely heavily on what lobstering brings economically to the area and it is still a very important part of Maine’s identity.”

St. George Students

Dakota Student VR Headset

The CareerViewXR Production grant will allow St George MSU to enhance students’ learning experiences and career exploration opportunities.

“Through the use of VR immersive experiences, CareerViewXR will provide a new, innovative way to engage students in learning connected to career and community,” explained Superintendent Felton. “Working alongside local tradespeople and businesses, while utilizing cutting edge technologies, we’ll move toward our goals of re-engaging students in learning, helping them understand career opportunities in their community, and, ultimately, strengthening our local economy.”

This story was submitted by St. George Municipal School Unit. To share good news from your school, please fill out this form.

Screen-Free Summer Sparks Creativity and Learning at Beech Hill School

In a world dominated by screens, Beech Hill School took a refreshing approach this summer with their screen-free summer program, offering K-7 students a four-week immersive experience focused on hands-on learning and community building this summer. Over 30 campers attended regularly, representing 45% of the school’s student population, making it a resounding success.

A key factor in the success of the program was the collaborative effort of Beech Hill School’s teachers and staff. From the outset, the planning and execution of the summer activities were a team effort, with educators pooling their expertise and creativity to design a program that would both engage and educate students without the use of technology. Their commitment to fostering a nurturing and dynamic learning environment was evident in all aspects of the program, from the lesson plans to the field trips.

The program began each day with a morning meeting, a familiar tradition at Beech Hill School that has long been used to foster a sense of community and connection among students and staff. Organizers of the program were dedicated to providing engaging activities that built foundational math and reading skills, while also offering team-building, physical education, and STEAM-related enrichment, all without the use of technology.

students sitting on gym floo4 working on a project

Each week of the program revolved around a different theme. Students explored “Space & Science,” where younger campers engaged in activities like skip-counting, scaling down the solar system, and a cosmic firework science activity. Another week, themed “Maine: Vacationland,” saw students diving into local culture and nature with trips to the Oceanarium and the Golf of Maine.  A special highlight was listening to a guest reader who shared stories about Robert McCloskey, the author of Blueberries for Sal.

students sitting around a table working together

Visual and performing arts also took center stage during one of the weeks. Activities included puppet theater, performance poetry, and theater/improv exercises led by guest instructors from Penobscot Theater, the University of Maine, and the Grand Theater. The students even visited a local theater to watch other campers rehearse for a performance of Disney’s Frozen Jr.

This year marked the first time Beech Hill School expanded its summer program to include middle school students, creating a new initiative called “Summer Scholars.” Principal Nichole Pothier worked directly with students at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, gathering their input on interests, which led to a diverse range of activities. These included explorations in poetry, photography, crocheting, sewing, fishing, hiking, drawing, painting, wood-burning, and various sports.

With the assistance of high school student mentors, teachers and staff worked closely with students, guiding them through projects that encouraged critical thinking and creativity.  Students were encouraged to take the lead in certain activities, which fostered a sense of ownership and responsibility among the campers.  This collaborative dynamic was particularly evident in the middle school “Summer Scholars” initiative, where students had a say in the projects they pursued.  The partnership between students and educators was crucial in creating a learning environment where students felt empowered to explore new ideas and develop new skills in a meaningful and personalized way. 

The program was enriched by visits from community members who shared their skills and stories. A Beech Hill School alumna and entrepreneur stopped by to give a tour of her food truck and taught students how to make homemade strawberry shortcakes. Another parent, who is also a clinical mental health counselor, introduced campers to “breath work” techniques for managing stress. Local community members also led a “Project Pajama Pants” sewing experience while Ellsworth Eagle athletes engaged students in basketball activities.

The K-7 program culminated in a “Water Olympics” event, where campers celebrated their four weeks of learning, growth, and strengthened connections with their school community. The event was a fun-filled finale that provided the perfect end to a summer filled with creativity, learning, and screen-free adventures.

Beech Hill School’s commitment to providing a meaningful, technology-free summer experience, coupled with the collaborative efforts of teachers, staff, and students, has not only helped students develop new skills but also reinforced the power of community and face-to-face interaction in an increasingly digital world. The success of the program is a testament to what can be achieved when educators and students work together in a supportive and creative environment, and it promises to positively impact the school community as the new academic year begins.

This story was submitted by Beech Hill School. To submit a good news story from your school, please fill out this good news submission form.

RSU 87 Superintendent Describes How His District Trains and Prepares for Emergencies

Mark Turner is the superintendent of RSU 87, which serves the communities of Carmel and Levant, Maine. What he loves most about his job is the time he gets to spend in schools. As a busy district administrator, interacting with staff and students each day is so important because he gets to see the important work they do firsthand.

Along with the many responsibilities that come with being superintendent, Turner shared that it was his concerns about emergency procedures and the district’s ability to deal with struggling students that led him to the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine School Safety Center.

Turner is one of many Maine school administrators who have taken the School Safety Specialist course offered by the Maine DOE’s Maine Schools Safety Center (MSSC). The 8-week course is provided asynchronously through Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and helps fulfill State statute Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §1001, sub-§16, which states there must be a “designated employee having oversight regarding school safety.”

“We decided administratively to take part in the CSTAG training model, and I decided to take the School Safety Specialist training to better prepare to lead in an emergency,” said Turner. “The training certainly helped me to better see the big picture and update our safety protocols.”

CSTAG stands for Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines, and it is a comprehensive approach to early identification of students who may be on the pathway to violence by assessing problem behavior and offering interventions before the behavior escalates. CSTAG training is part of the Maine School Safety Center’s larger Maine Safe Schools Initiative.

As part of the CSTAG training, Turner learned about and introduced behavioral threat assessments to RSU 87 teachers and staff members.

“The behavior threat assessments we now use have truly helped us to respond to threats, support victims and aggressors, and create a safer school environment,” explained Turner.

Since Turner took the Safety Specialist training, RSU 87 has also updated its response protocol to the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) model and started a “see something/say something” campaign at its middle schools.

In keeping the RSU 87 school community up to date on these new protocols, the admin team was recently describing their process to a concerned parent when she remarked, “I’m so glad that you guys are so prepared to deal with these situations, I had no idea!”

Turner adds that they also plan to continue using the CSTAG model for behavior threat assessments going forward. He extends a big thank you to the Maine DOE’s Maine School Safety Center for being remarkably supportive throughout these trainings.

The School Safety Specialist course is a program of the Maine DOE’s Maine School Safety Center and is available at no cost to Maine schools. Cohorts start at the beginning of every month and complete in 8 weeks. All work is done asynchronously through Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and takes approximately 20-25 hours to complete.

For more information, visit the Maine DOE website, fill out an interest form, or reach out to Maine DOE School Safety Training Coordinator Wendy Robichaud at Wendy.Robichaud@maine.gov.

North Haven Students Explore ‘Green’ Businesses in Maine Thanks to Maine DOE Career Exploration Grant

With support from the Maine Department of Education’s (DOE) Maine Out of School Time grant, upper elementary and middle school students from North Haven Community School, located on North Haven Island, visited and explored a variety of Maine businesses this summer.

The grant was funded through the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, a statewide expansion of extended learning programming to engage students throughout the state in real-world career exploration experiences.

North Haven Community School Principal Shaun Johnson did most of the planning, logistics, and drove the school van on all trips over the course of the two-week, first of its kind, “camp” experience. The opportunity allowed students to participate in early career exploration in various aspects of Maine’s “green” economy, giving students the chance to learn more about businesses and jobs focused on environmental sustainability.

Students went on off-island visits, including tours of Robbins Lumber, Front Street Shipyard, Lyman Morse, Midcoast School of Technology, GoLogic, Revision Energy, and Bowdoin University’s Office of Sustainability. Students were also visited on the Island by businesses, such as EcoMaine.

Students also got to experience environmentally sustainable efforts closer to home. North Haven Community School’s high school science teacher, Samantha Taggart worked with students in the school garden and gave them a tour of Cider Hill Farm on North Haven, which is owned by community member Becky Bartovics. School board member and local contractor Morten Hansen gave students a tour of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree’s house near Turner Farm. Local Island Institute Fellow Claire Oxford talked to students about how climate change will impact flooding and tide levels over the next several decades.

Here are a few pictures from the two-week opportunity:

One student, having such a good time, remarked, “Why can’t this camp be longer?”

Johnson says that finding local and school-related enrichment activities for students on the island during the summer, especially those who are too young to work, can be a challenge.

“This grant opportunity really gave us the motivation and support we needed to make something happen,” said Johnson.

The Maine Out-of-School-Time grant opportunity is available through the Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, funded in its entirety by the American Rescue Plan. It is a part of Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response.

Getting to Know Community Schools in Maine: Old Town Elementary School

“Education and support for our students goes way beyond the classroom,” said Principal Jeanna Tuell. As a long-time administrator for RSU 34, Tuell has been an integral part of Old Town Elementary School’s shift to the Community School Model.

Tuell explains that years ago, the school’s long-time school counselor raised concerns about the sheer amount of work it was taking to give their student population the support they truly needed to thrive at school. It was at that time that they had a collective realization they needed to seriously think outside the box to improve things not only for their students, families, and the community but for their teachers and staff as well.

A community school model, as defined by the Coalition for Community Schools, is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Community schools exist in all regions of the United States, and their numbers are growing fast.

“When you are looking at student support, you are not just looking at what the supports are that the student needs right now, you have to look bigger, at what they might need outside the school, and what their families might need, and how that affects the whole school environment and the whole community outside,” said Jennifer Goodwin, Old Town Elementary School Coordinator. Goodwin has served in the role of Community School Coordinator since the school set in motion their plan to become a community school in 2017.

The community school model was first recognized by the Maine State Legislature in 2015/2016 when they authorized state funding for a limited number of community schools established under 20-A MRSA Chapter 333. Currently, three schools in Maine receive funding from the Maine DOE to support their community school strategies: Old Town Elementary School in Old Town, Cape Cod Hill Community School in New Sharon, and Gerald E. Talbot School in Portland.

As the longest-standing community school in Maine, Old Town has had time to build community partnerships and strategies that truly support its student population. One of those strategies is their amazing outdoor learning program which is complimented by a robust set of garden beds and greenhouses located right on school grounds.

“Almost immediately when I started, I got approached by teachers saying, ‘we want school gardens,’” explained Goodwin. “The University of Maine was able to do their capstone project and build us our first 12 beds. Then we got a partnership with Rogers Farms, and then we had an amazing parent garden coordinator come on that really helped it grow.”

The program has been so successful over the years that they have been able to do a full curriculum integration at every grade level. They have also benefited from a fruitful partnership with Rogers Farms that includes a community farm stand.

Old Town School Gardens:

Jennifer Goodwin

Several other community partnerships provide their students with everything from winter fun with Winter Kids, to theatre, and even more outdoor education through Maine Outdoor Education program in Millinocket. They also partner on Community Cupboard which serves students, families, and community members.

Another important tentacle of this work is their partnership with local health services such as Pathways of Maine, Acadia Hospital, and Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC) for counseling services for students and families. Their partnership with PCHC extends into a recently added health clinic located inside the school building. The clinic is staffed with licensed health care professionals who provide students not only with counseling services, but basic healthcare needs like an annual wellness check, a strep test, or an ear/eye exam to diagnose and treat common childhood viruses.

The PCHC Health Clinic located inside Old Town Elementary School:

With the incredible number of meaningful community partnerships Old Town has worked so hard to get under their belt, they are quick to credit their partners and community for their shared commitment to this work.

“When anything needs to be done, it gets done here because people really care about their community, their kids, and there is a lot of pride,” explained Tuell. “Those community partners happen very naturally. It’s not just one particular partner, it’s a combination of a lot of people. I feel like that’s what makes this town so unique and so special.”

Tuell also acknowledges how incredibly important it has been for them to have a Community School Coordinator who can not only coordinate and see through the partnerships and strategies but also works to pull together administrators, teachers, and school support staff on a regular basis to prioritize the evaluation and re-evaluate their student (and community) support strategies.

To learn more about Old Town Elementary Community School, check out this video interview with Principal Tuell and Community School Coordinator Jennifer Goodwin.

Maine DOE Community Schools Consultant Ann Hanna (former principal of Gerald E. Talbot Community School) is working on advancing community school strategies in interested schools across Maine by providing technical assistance and support.

To learn more about community schools in Maine, please contact Ann Hanna, at ann.c.hanna@maine.gov.

Fifth Graders from Cascade Brook Elementary School Participate in ExploraVision STEM Competition

(Pictured: Back row, from left: Emma Hafenecker, Clara Ernst, Abigail Ragsdale, Emily Roy, Stacey Augustine, Tim Strange. Front, from left: Wiley Billings, Brennan Tibbetts, Maple Corey, Sandy Jamison. [photo courtesy of Annie Twitchell])

The fifth-grade students at Cascade Brook School had some very exciting projects this past school year. Two teams entered the 2023/24 Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision National Science competition.

Led by their Gifted and Talented Teacher/Coach, Sandra Jamison, the students brainstormed world problems, picked one, and then developed an invention that could solve the problem. This required lots of research and innovative thinking. They researched past and present technology, designed their “solution” and then wrote about breakthroughs needed to make it a reality, explained their design process, and drew their invention.

One team, comprised of fifth graders Emily Roy, Brennan Tibbetts, and Maple Corey came up with the idea for ‘H.E.L.P.’, a small device that would sit in the ear and receive signals and data from the body, diagnose the symptoms, and help treat the cause.

H.E.L.P. stands for ‘Helping Everyone Live Perfectly’ and the device is like having a doctor in your ear. The H.E.L.P. team earned an honorable mention in the ExploraVision competition, which means they placed in the top ten percent of all 2,000 competing teams. Each student received a certificate commemorating this achievement.

The second team, comprised of fifth graders Clara Ernst, Wiley Billings, Emma Hafenecker, and Abigail Ragsdale, designed MER, short for Medical Earth Robot. The students wanted to find a way to help with one of the most preventable deaths on the battlefield: loss of blood.

MER is a robot with three compartments, two of which have drills to tunnel through the ground. The third compartment is where the magic happens: a protective dome unfolds and covers an injured person. Inside the dome, robotic arms equipped with tools perform essential emergency medical care to stabilize the patient before transmitting a signal to the nearest emergency medical personnel and moving to the next patient.

The MER project was selected as one of 24 regional winning projects. As Regional winners, each student and their coach received a Chromebook and participated in a National competition.

Both teams were recognized and honored in a special ceremony on April 25, 2024 at Cascade Brook School with a Toshiba representative Tim Strange. Cascade Brook School sure is proud of these students!! Congratulations to Emily, Brennan, Maple, Clara, Wiley, Emma, and Abigail!

2024 Maine Teacher of the Year Reflects on Enjoyable and Empowering Experience at Space Camp

Each year, the Maine Teacher of the Year attends Space Camp for Educators at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. They are joined by their National Teacher of the Year cohort, comprised of teachers from across the nation. Space Camp is a program for educators that includes simulations of astronaut training and various activities designed to deepen educators’ understanding of what it’s like to go to space. Beyond the fun and interesting activities, Space Camp allows the National Teacher of the Year cohort to connect, network, and learn from one another.

Participants at Space Camp had the opportunity to build and launch rockets, participate in an escape room, design heat shields, and rovers, learn about how origami influences the design of space vehicles, and experience two “missions” in the space station. An example of a day-long activity included a water rescue simulation where a zipline and a downed helicopter were used to simulate a pre-launch emergency escape. Then, participants had to swim out to a raft in the middle of the lake, climb said raft, fall backwards from it, swim back to shore, and climb into a sling to escape the water.

Joshua Chard, 2024 Maine Teacher of the Year and teacher at East End Elementary, enjoyed Space Camp for its fun activities and bonds he created with other educators. Although he was initially nervous about the water rescue simulation due to his limited swimming skills, the support of his team helped him overcome his fears. For Chard, the experience reinforced the importance of teamwork, a lesson he plans to bring back to his classroom in the fall.

While Chard enjoyed the experience of Space Camp, he notes that some of his favorite moments were the ones where he got to speak with other accomplished educators and hear about their teaching.

“The relationships that I have built through the National Teacher of the Year program are ones that will inform my professional journey moving forward. We bonded over our love for our students and our commitment to a rigorous and equitable education for all. I have created friendships that will last a lifetime,” said Chard.

Chard also found much value in being in a student position at Space Camp and being reminded of what it feels like to be a learner. Space Camp reminded him of what it is like to be a student experiencing new material for the first time, not knowing what to do, and being nervous of judgment from others.

“Teachers are lifelong learners, but usually we have some control over what we are learning. Being out of my comfort zone was a great reminder that many of our learners find themselves outside of their comfort zone every day,” he said.

While Chard was incredibly grateful for befriending and learning from teachers from all over the country, he is grateful that he teaches in Maine.

“I am proud to work in a state where public education is valued and celebrated and where diversity is seen as an asset,” he said. “Maine is such an amazing place to work and live.”

When Chard was asked about what lessons from space camp he would share with the 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year Cohort, he emphasized the importance of teamwork.

“It sounds cliche, but we are more successful together. NASA’s scientists, astronauts, and support personnel all work together in the interest of expanding our knowledge of our world and beyond. All of us who work in schools strive for the same thing, to expand the minds and lives of our students.”

The 2025 Maine Teacher of the Year will have the opportunity to attend the annual Space Camp just like Chard did. Read more about the Teacher of the Year program here.

Over 100 Maine Students and Teacher Spend a Weekend Camping with Teens to Trails

This past spring, 100+ students and teachers joined Teens to Trails for their annual Adventure Bound weekend, a free camping and white-water rafting experience at Adventure Bound, a youth and family group whitewater rafting and outdoor recreation center in Caratunk, Maine on the Kennebec River. Participants could enjoy this trip at no cost because of the Maine Department of Education (DOE), Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, a program designed to engage more Maine students with outdoor learning and make outdoor experiences more accessible. This initiative was inspired by a promise in Governor Mills’ 2022 State of the State Address to provide students with more opportunities like the Whitewater Kayaking Camp, where kids can go outside and engage with Maine’s natural beauty.

On Friday night, the first night of the trip, participants from different schools had the chance to get to know each other through campfires, dinner, and fun icebreakers. Sam Andrews, Teens to Trails’ Program Manager, led a group conga line as well as a favorite camp game called Bob the Weasel. In this game, one person stands alone. The rest form a circle and pass a banana around while singing, “Bob the Weasel, keep it going, keep it going.” It is up to the person inside the circle to guess who has the banana, and the game almost always results in good-natured laughter.

The next day, the students enjoyed a full day of activities, including volleyball, paddle boarding, canoeing, climbing, swinging on the ropes course, hiking to Moxie Falls, and whitewater rafting. The wide variety of offerings allowed students to choose activities in their comfort zone; however, many felt encouraged to try new things and learn from their experiences. Since whitewater rafting was new to many, the students learned basic paddling skills from Adventure Bound staff. After learning the basics, students took on the challenge of paddling in white water with the help of skilled guides.

“I was incredibly nervous, but I’m glad I did it,” said a 12th-grade student from Belfast High School.

While students were out enjoying activities, teachers had the opportunity to network with other colleagues who are outdoor club leaders. Many reported it was amazing for them to see their students challenge themselves, bond with others, and enjoy nature.

On the final night, Teens to Trails’ Youth Advisory Council members led the annual s’mores contest, which included some creative confections from the students. Some combinations included a toasted banana, chocolate, marshmallow, and caramel s’more, as well as a raspberry, chocolate-covered pretzel, and marshmallow s’more. One student even created an Oreo-wheeled s’mores truck.

The joy and energy of spending a weekend outdoors and unplugged are experiences many will remember fondly. Students and teachers reported feeling connected, inspired, and excited to return to Adventure Bound with their Outdoor Clubs for many years to come.

Twelve school communities were able to attend, including Mt. Abram High School, Dirigo High School, Maine Academy of Natural Sciences, Houlton High School, Ecology Learning Center, Westbrook High School, Edward Little High School, Wiscasset Middle High School, Mountain Valley High School, Marshwood High School, Belfast Area High School, and John Bapst High School.

Thanks to the Maine DOE Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, Teens to Trails, and Adventure Bound, the positive feelings, memorable adventures, and skills learned throughout the weekend will last a lifetime.

“One of my students wants to become a rafting guide now,” added Brian Davis, a Science Teacher at Westbrook High School

Registration links for future trips will be included in Teens to Trails’ school newsletters and on their Facebook, Instagram, and website.

The Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative was created with Federal Emergency Relief Funding and is a part of Maine’s Whole Student Pandemic Response. Please visit the Maine DOE Website to learn more about Whole Student Pandemic Response and the many other programs that make it up.

Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative Helps Students Learn to White Water Kayak

Six students, ranging from grades 8th to 12th, participated in an Introduction to Whitewater Kayaking Camp offered by the Main Street Skowhegan Organization. Thanks to the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, these students could participate in the experience at no cost to them.

The Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative is a program created by the Maine Department of Education (DOE) to engage Maine students with outdoor learning and make outdoor experiences more accessible. This initiative was inspired by a promise made in Governor Mills’ 2022 State of the State Address to provide students with more opportunities like the Whitewater Kayaking Camp, where kids can go outside and engage with Maine’s natural beauty.

Of the students attending the Whitewater Kayaking Camp, half had participated last year, and half were entirely new to whitewater paddling. The camp was led by expert Ben Koehler, who serves as the program coordinator and has ten years of river guiding and kayak instruction experience. Wasting no time, the students took straight to the water, spending most of their trip in the river. A typical day of camp consisted of driving to the Kennebec River, putting on gear, getting into boats, and riding the currents as they developed their new skills. They would run ‘good rapids’ for practice only, then hike back upriver to repeat them.

On the first day, all students were in duckies, which are inflatable sit-on-top kayaks with good stability and maneuverability. On the second day, after repeating the skills learned the prior day in duckies, students graduated to whitewater kayaks, in which the kayaker sits inside the boat with a skirt (material that covers the inside of the boat).

“One student was apprehensive to get into a kayak, so the staff helped her by letting her use a funded pack raft, which is an inflated boat that one sits in without a skirt. The funded pack raft was a good bridge between a duckie and a kayak. Practicing on the inflatable raft helped build the student’s confidence in paddling and being on the water. Another student in the camp mastered the ability to roll a kayak in whitewater, which is a big step towards becoming an expert at whitewater kayaking,” said Koehler.

At the end of the week, all six students could successfully kayak the lower-class III section of the Kennebec River, which is remarkable considering that three of them were brand new to the activity.

Ducky

Main Street Skowhegan, an organization dedicated to revitalizing historic Skowhegan, hosted the camp. The organization has an impressive collection of outdoor gear that Somerset County residents can rent at no cost. Their partnership with the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative allowed them to expand their gear and provide cost-free programs, like their white water rafting camp. Main Street Skowhegan will continue to offer white water camps and clinics throughout the summer. More information can be found on their website.

Register for Main Street Skowhegan’s White Water Camps