Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative: Past Programs

Appalachian Mountain Club

Penobscot Paddlers: Five-day paddling and camping trip completed on the Upper West Branch of the Penobscot.

Teen Wilderness: Three-day lodge program provided positive outdoor experiences.

100-Mile Wilderness: Two-week backpacking trip covered the final 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail.

Piscataquis

Baxter Academy

The Program was divided into four modules, with a core structure of an established theme, fluency (both English and Scientific), practical skills, and training for long-term success in STEM/STEAM fields.

Every module included exploration by bike, foot, or paddle board (weather dependent), journaling, and group reflection, and concluded with a project and graduation ceremony where parents were welcomed.

Cumberland

Backwoods Summer Program: A transition program for rising 9th graders who have been deemed "at risk" for on-time graduation from Belfast Area High School. The summer program will be 5 weeks long and include field trips and gardening work that will result in student stipends and elective credit.

Biddeford, Saco, and Dayton School Departments

.Saco Middle School: Students completed three-day immersive outdoor program with hands-on science lessons.

Biddeford: Program planned outdoor leadership academy, bike shop curriculum, and field trips for at-risk youth.

New Mainer and Unhoused Youth: Summer program connected New Mainers and homeless youth with Maine's outdoors through kayaking, hiking, and ocean activities.

Fifty BGCSM members completed immersive trips to Maine Huts & Trails' eco-lodge. Additional day trips included ranger visits, hiking, kayaking, and ropes courses, focusing on outdoor career exploration and skill development.

Camden Rockport Middle School

Students participated in daily outdoor activities, including rock climbing, canoeing, paddle boarding, hiking, and sea kayaking. 

Knox

Carrabec High School Outdoor Skills and Leadership Club

The CHS Outdoor Skills and Leadership club met each school day to explore topics and learn skills in the Maine outdoors: hiking, fly fishing, camping, paddling, skiing, snowshoeing, ice fishing, wilderness first aid, wilderness survival skills, etc. The club tried to get off campus for a day or overnight adventure once a month.

Somerset

Casco Bay High School partnered with Rippleffect for two key programs:

Freshmen Quest: Students explored community-building through kayaking and outdoor skills on Cow Island, focusing on advisory group connections.

Senior Quest: Seniors developed leadership and coastal navigation skills as a launching point for college preparation and senior projects.

Cheverus High School 

The goal of Cheverus's program was to spark awe and wonder in the natural world. Teachers worked together across curriculums to study island ecology and natural history, communicating science via art, and sustainability, among other topics. A "whole student" approach was employed: research was balanced with reflection. A typical day on an outdoor immersion included the four essential elements: care, creation, curiosity, and content. After the "work" came "play," whether it was forest swimming, a hike looking at geological formations, or nature journaling on a beach. The day often ended with a campfire, listening to owls calling, and, for many students, seeing the Milky Way for the first time.

Cumberland

Chewonki Foundation

Maine Appalachian Trail Backpacking Trip: For those who wanted to explore the wilds of Maine on their feet, living close to nature and removed from everyday life, a trek on the Maine AT promised an adventure. The trip began in the territory known as the 100-Mile Wilderness and headed northbound to Baxter State Park. The adventure ended with a challenging hike up Mount Katahdin (Wabanaki for “the greatest mountain”), which marked the northern terminus of the AT. Students averaged 5-12 miles per day, depending upon terrain. Along the way, they enjoyed and learned about the natural history and ecology of the AT. There was a great chance of seeing moose, bear, beaver, eagles, deer, and other wildlife.

All equipment, meal, and transportation costs for these programs were covered.

Maine Northwoods Canoe Trip: This adventure began in the middle of the North Maine Woods on Allagash Lake and worked its way north on the Allagash River through lakes, rapids, and trails that had been traveled for countless years. The group paddled the length of the Allagash River to where it connected with the St. John River near the Canadian Border. Highlights included paddling Chase Rapids, incredible campsites, exploring the old tramway, and sunsets on the many lakes of the waterway.

All equipment, meal, and transportation costs for these programs were covered.

Maine Coast Kayaking Trip: This trip began in the protected waters of Hockomock Bay surrounding Chewonki Neck in Wiscasset, Maine, where participants spent the first few days learning expeditionary sea kayaking skills. As students’ skills and confidence increased, they traveled up the coast toward the spruce-covered islands of Penobscot Bay. Each night, students camped in tents at a different island along their route up the Maine coast, taking note of the local ecology as they went. After plenty of paddling, the trip ended in the breathtaking islands of Stonington, where lobster boats and sandy beaches filled the 70+ island archipelago.

All equipment, meal, and transportation costs for these programs were covered.

Cobscook Institute

Outdoor Skills Camp: Participants learned and practiced basic skills to stay safe and have fun in the woods and on the water. They explored Cobscook Institute’s beautiful campus as well as the bounty of nature preserves along Cobscook Bay and The Bold Coast. Students learned to paddle a canoe with a partner, build fires and shelters, travel lightly on the land by practicing Leave No Trace, and developed camping skills as they prepared for an overnight adventure.

Canoe Camp: On this 6-day, 5-night canoe trip, participants explored the Downeast Lakes and camped at some of the most scenic, remote campsites in eastern Maine. Each day, the group paddled on lakes and streams in traditional Passamaquoddy territory, learned canoe skills, practiced wilderness camping skills, and enjoyed each other's company. Food was cooked on an open fire. Participants slept in tents and had opportunities to swim, fish, journal, and play games during their free time. No prior camping or canoeing skills were needed, just a willingness to embrace new experiences in wild places and a desire to learn about traditional travel routes through the Passamaquoddy homeland.

River Camp: River Camp was a two-week overnight summer service camp for teens interested in outdoor careers, conservation, ecology, and outdoor skill building. A partnership program between the Downeast Salmon Federation (DSF) and Cobscook Institute, teens accepted to River Camp were part of a co-ed youth crew and worked alongside DSF professionals on projects focused on habitat restoration and recreational access. Participants worked on building remote campsites along the Narraguagus River and had fun learning more advanced paddling techniques on the St. Croix River.

Sailing Camp for New Sailors: This beginner class was designed for participants to have positive early learning experiences on the water and while sailing. Building confidence, ensuring safety, demonstrating respect, courtesy to others, and good teamwork were primary goals. Participants learned basic nomenclature, seamanship, and sailing skills.

Sailing Camp for Intermediate Sailors: Intermediate students who had taken Cobscook's beginner program or participated in a prior sailing training program built upon their introductory skills and developed confidence. Participants revisited basic nomenclature, seamanship, and sailing skills while learning more intermediate techniques such as maneuvers, sail theory, and navigation rules.

Youth Leadership Intensive: Youth Leadership Intensive was a paid spring internship for Portland High School, Deering High School, and Casco Bay High School students. Youth learned about food justice and nutrition, built leadership skills through group challenges, practiced self-reflection through writing, drawing, and conversation, went on hikes and nature walks, explored the Maine coast, cooked elaborate and nutritious meals, prepared a community garden for the growing season, visited sustainable farms, and connected with new people. Cultivating Community prioritized food and housing-insecure participants and was one of the only internships in Portland that accepted and accommodated non-English speakers.

Youth Growers: Youth Growers was a paid summer internship for Portland High School, Deering High School, and Casco Bay High School students. Youth learned about food justice and nutrition, built leadership skills through group challenges, practiced self-reflection through writing, drawing, and conversation, cooked elaborate and nutritious meals every day, maintained a community garden for the public to pick from, delivered bags of local vegetables to neighbors in affordable housing weekly, visited sustainable farms, and connected with new people. Cultivating Community prioritized food and housing-insecure participants and was one of the only internships in Portland that accepted and accommodated non-English speakers.

Let’s Find Out: DEI’s “Let’s Find Out” program immersed students in the world of Marine Research, where they worked alongside scientists, technicians, and educators to explore real-life situations that affect Maine’s coastal communities. This included:

• Marine Science Sessions 
• Summer Camp Day Programs
• Family and Friends Group Sessions
• Internships for High School Students (full)
• A Traveling Touch Tank

Wilderness Adventure: This opportunity consisted of two five-day wilderness adventures for up to ten students per trip. Two spaces for each trip were reserved for Extended Learning Opportunity Student-Leaders (ELO) who chose to demonstrate their leadership skills as mentors and apprentices to the experienced guide services leading each trip. The remaining eight spaces (per trip) were open to all 9th and 10th-grade students in the region. The objectives of each trip were threefold: to fortify the skills acquired in outdoor education classes, to provide students lacking these skills an opportunity to learn from seasoned mentors and leaders, and to acquaint students with diverse professions available to them should they have opted to pursue a livelihood in the Maine woods.

The Middle School Leadership Academy: The Academy offered up to 25 students in grades 6-8, who typically lacked access to structured and safe outdoor education programming in the summer, a week of enjoyable and enriching skill-building activities at no cost to them. Students were introduced to and practiced essential outdoor learning skills, learning how effective collaboration and perseverance led to accomplishment. These skills prepared them for future outdoor adventures, such as the Big Eddy trip and the Allagash Wilderness Waterway trip. Five ELO Student-Leader positions assisted with the Leadership Academy design and implementation. Those Student-Leaders honed leadership skills as mentors, helping to prepare middle schoolers with outdoor education skills such as canoeing/paddling, tent setup, campsite and campfire safety, water safety, outdoor cooking, fire building, knot tying, and wilderness survival.

St. Croix Whitewater Clinic: This opportunity allowed 15 rising 9th-grade students and 5 ELO high school students the chance to take two school days in the spring to participate in a two-part whitewater clinic, covering 10 miles on the beautiful St. Croix River in Vanceboro, Maine. Students learned practical river navigation skills as well as the current role of the St. Croix River in local and international affairs.

Edmunds Consolidated School used Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative funding to continue working with student and educator-created trail and outdoor learning space systems. The funding allowed them to take outdoor learning to the next level by providing equipment, training, and enhanced opportunities for learning. These opportunities will be available both within the school day and after school hours for students and their families to help build healthy life-long habits

Outdoor Classroom/Shelter Program at Norumbega: Beginning in early April, 6th-grade students designed a new Outdoor Classroom/Shelter guided by We Built This, a Maine nonprofit. It was used by all three grades in the spring of 2024 to protect them from the weather, serve as a base for student research, and provide a space for instruction and presentation of student work. The shelter was built at Norumbega. Once designed, We Built This recruited students, families, and community members to participate in an old-fashioned “barn-raising” to build the timber frame structure.

Interdisciplinary projects for each grade level at Norumbega:

• 6th-grade students designed an outdoor shelter/classroom with handicapped accessibility and helped create and maintain trails at Norumbega.
• 7th-grade students focused on forest studies and climate change. They observed and collected data on the forest population and biodiversity. They also studied the stream at Norumbega, inventorying living organisms and assessing water quality.
• All 8th-grade students completed capstone projects on either climate studies or social justice initiatives connected to nature.

Spring After School Enrichment Program – Garden to Table: The program met once a week for 7 weeks and focused on designing and preparing garden beds, teaching vegetable and/or pollinator gardening skills, and increasing ecological knowledge. Families who picked up their child by vehicle were eligible for transportation mileage reimbursement.

Summer Camp: Campers weeded the gardens planted in the spring, harvested produce, prepared meals from the garden (at no additional cost), went on hikes, practiced yoga, created art, made maps, tracked animals, and watched birds. The camps were held outside except during inclement weather and had a maximum of 14 campers.

After School Outdoors: Watershed and nature-based learning activities after school at five middle schools twice a month in April and May. The program utilized the outdoor classrooms and forests adjacent to the school or the nearby water resources, FOCW Watershed Educators featured grade appropriate activities from the Friend's Watershed Science Curriculum.

Spring Lake Ecology Explorations: Based out of Maranacook Lake or Cobbossee Lake, FCW hosted four Lake Ecology programs (2 middle schools and two high schools) on board the FOCW Pontoon Floating Lab, the Otter 3, during the month of May, on weekends and early dismissal days. These featured science experiments regarding water clarity, PH, chemical composition, and the natural history of freshwater flora and fauna, all of which were hands-on. The results were shared across the state of Maine through the Gulf of Maine Research Institutes community science programs.

Community Library Outreach Programs: FCW planned hands-on, immersive freshwater aquatic ecology programs/demonstrations at every town library in the Cobbossee Watershed. Specifically designed to serve as career exploration opportunities for middle and high school students focusing on ecological careers in freshwater ecological systems. Using freshwater touch tanks, hands-on activities, and one-on-one discussions with participants about career options.

Junior Watershed Scientists: Building upon the success of their 17 years of Friends of the Cobbossee Watershed's Nature Day Camp programs for grades 3rd - 5th, the FCW hosted two weeklong camps for middles schoolers. Hosted by their partner in this program the Maine State YMCA Camp. The programs was hands-on, experiential, and field-based on and around the freshwater ecosystems of Cobbossee Lake and surrounding watershed lands.

Lake Ecology Explorations: Building upon the success of the May Lake Ecology Experiences, FCW offered two middle school-age and two high school-age lake exploration days during June, July, and August. They would partner with Cobbossee Lake and Maranacook Lake with a morning session for middle school age and an afternoon session for high school students.

Boat Building: Students in 6th Grade worked with the Maine Maritime Museum staff and volunteers to learn woodworking skills and work collaboratively to build a rowing skiff to be launched in the spring of 2024. 

Spring Expedition: Students in 6th grade creatively solved real-world problems connected to climate change that were affecting Maine coastal communities. Students presented their solutions at a local community event. Students in 6th grade traveled to other coastal communities to study the effects of climate change as it related directly to coastal erosion, finding solutions to problems of erosion. Students created a PSA or informational video to present to the community.

Weekend Campouts: On 100 acres of pristine forest, Teen Retreats built friendships, lasting self-esteem, and connection to the natural world. The weekend model gave campers time to practice lifelong outdoor skills, build confidence and resilience, lean into play and connection, and find time to pause and reflect outside of their busy schedules.

Sunbeam Adventures: Designed for children and teens who identify as neurodivergent, Sunbeam offered a week of connection and adventure on Biscay Pond. Participants had opportunities for challenge by choice and active engagement through swimming, paddle boarding, exploring the Maine woods, and connecting to nature. This inclusive, supportive camp enabled participants to make new friends, foster independence, acknowledge self-worth, dig deep into their grit and resilience, and beam with joy.

Taproot Therapeutic Adventure: Hearty Roots' out-of-the-box approach to mental health and wellness, Taproot reached youth who were facing mental or behavioral health challenges that impacted their ability to meet academic and behavioral expectations throughout the school day. Sessions were tailored to the individual or group; nature-based activities were scaffolded to inspire positive growth and confidence, and the therapeutic environment was co-created with the participants. Taproot empowered participants to develop deeper connections to nature and community.

Muscongus Navigators: Hearty Root's Coastal Navigators sessions took teens on immersive sea kayak expeditions in Muscongus Bay. Their approach of intentionally blending adventure and wellness practices offered teens the opportunity to build resilience and connect with friends and nature while experiencing growth, reflection, joy, and the magic of the waters and islands of the coast of Maine.

Biscay Explorers Overnights: Hearty Root's Biscay Explorers Campout sessions were designed for kids ready for a new level of adventure. Participants experienced true camp outs: campfire cooking and sleeping in tents under the stars! Days were filled with exploration, hiking, swimming, paddle boarding with Hearty Roots' intentional programming – reflection, connection, gratitude, resilience building, mindfulness – woven throughout!

Herring Gut conducted five coastal programs:

Junior Marine Scientists Camps: Middle school students explored marine life through kayaking, sailing, and lab work at St. George Peninsula and Colby College Island.

Experiencing Maine's Marine Economy: High school students set up a Saltwater Lab, studied kelp farming and shellfish production, and visited marine industries.

Library Career Days: Ten inland libraries hosted marine science programs featuring touch tanks and career exploration.

Tidepool Treks: Monthly coastal field studies at three locations taught marine biology and human environmental impact.

Watershed Watchers: Students and parents studied St. George River ecology at three sites, complementing "Fresh to Salt" educational program.

Junior Marine Scientist Camp: Field explorations on the St. George Peninsula, trips to Colby College's Allen Island Campus, kayaking along the St. George River, and sailing trips in Penobscot Bay allowed students to immerse themselves in the marine environment. They observed marine birds, mammals, and other wildlife. Students conducted hands-on marine science projects and experiments in Herring Gut's flow-through saltwater lab. The program focused on careers in marine science and trades, along with community science projects. Participants collected data on seaweed, invertebrates, and water quality across several marine locations around the St. George peninsula.

Changing Seas High School Program: This program focused on climate change, Maine's marine economy impacts, and sustainable solutions. Topics included ocean plastics, rising sea levels, warming waters, and sustainability. Field trips to local and regional businesses enabled participants to observe and gain insight from professionals working in coastal trades.

Traveling Tidepool Treks: Herring Gut made their Tidepool Trek Program more accessible by providing transportation for middle and high school students from locations like Medomak High School, local libraries, and the Knox Museum. Their educators transported students down the St. George Peninsula to Drift Inn Beach or Marshall Point Lighthouse, providing naturalist interpretation of the intertidal zone. Participants explored and learned about marine invertebrates including crabs, shrimp, snails, sea urchins, and lobsters.

Collecting Data in the Outdoors Professional Development for Teachers: This one-day professional development course took place in the spring. Teachers were immersed in the outdoors while learning to engage with their students in data collection. The training occurred in a coastal habitat, teaching applications for data collection near their schools. Teachers learned about science communication and how students could communicate information through art. Teachers received stipends after submitting data their students collected by the end of the school year.

The Holbrook Mountain Bike Club met after school on Wednesdays. Students learned to ride and maintain provided bikes and about trail safety. 

The Holbrook Mountain Bike Club will met 15 days in the summer, taking trail rides in the area. They ended the summer with a trip to Acadia National Park to ride the Carriage Roads and a trip to the Moosehead Trailhead in Greenville. All of this was at no cost to students to RSU 63 students. 

The Hurricane Island Foundation successfully expanded its Penobscot Bay Leadership Collaborative (PBLC) in 2022, providing students with valuable science learning and leadership development on Hurricane Island’s shorelines. The expansion strengthened partnerships with local youth non-profits and extended mentorship into the school year, offering hands-on, nature-based learning and fostering student-led sustainability projects. PBLC served 6-8 grade students, teachers, and community members from schools across Lincolnville and Knox County. The 14-day summer intensive directly impacted middle school students, while fall projects engaged a broader community, with a focus on female-identifying middle school students.

Boothbay Sea and Science Center: Students completed two one-week residential programs in Linekin Bay, learning marine ecology from shipwrights, scientists, and aquaculturists.

Hurricane Island Outward Bound: Students participated in 15-day sailing program, living aboard 30-foot boats while mastering navigation, seamanship, and leadership skills through hands-on experience.

Island Adventures: During summer 2024, Hurricane Island Outward Bound School offered Maine students aged 13-17 coastal exploration opportunities through U.S. Department of Education and Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative funding. Students sailed 30-ft boats, climbed Burnt Island cliffs, completed service projects, hiked trails, and camped outdoors. The program developed leadership skills and community connections through shared outdoor experiences.

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds participated in experiential learning to support their high school transition. The program connected new students with classmates, teachers, and upper-class mentors. Through marine resource exploration and interactions with local professionals, students learned about connected ecosystems and marine resources' community importance.

This free Somerset County youth program focused on community transformation through outdoor recreation. In 2023, Skowhegan Outdoors hosted 202 free programs serving 1,810 residents and three weeklong summer camps for grades 8-12, covering mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, and hiking. Building on this success, they added a fourth camp week in 2024, providing all instruction, gear, lunch, and transportation at no cost.

Threshold Mondays: As part of Maine Academy of Natural Sciences curriculum, MeANS Threshold students and instructors gathered monthly for outdoor learning from March-July. Activities included maple syrup making, visits to Maine Local Living Center, programming with Wabanaki Reach, a coastal field trip, and a Lake George family field day featuring canoeing and field games.

Quarterly Intensives: MeANS students participated in two-week interdisciplinary natural science explorations each quarter. They conducted research, partnered with local experts, and created place-based community projects. The program reintroduced canoe excursions and added bicycle options on local waters and nature trails during Spring and Summer intensives.

Educator Professional Learning: Maine Academy of Natural Sciences provided staff development at Lennox Lodge Outdoor Leadership Center for Educational Trip Leader certification, Wilderness First Aid and CPR training for students, and specialized instruction for small group outdoor experiences.

The Art of Biking: Maine Arts Academy students participated in morning and afternoon groups learning mountain biking, bike maintenance, and photography skills to document their experiences.

The virtual academy held four outdoor events: two overnight camps, a ropes course, and a day at Cow Island, providing essential in-person interaction opportunities for students.

Programs were developed collaboratively with participating schools and groups based on specific learning goals and needs. The school offered single-day programs for up to 50 students and multi-day/overnight programs for up to 25 students, focusing on nature-based learning, climate change mitigation, food systems, handcraft, and mindfulness.

Green Teen High School Internship: MMM's Green Teen program was a five-week paid internship where six high school students explored and researched local environmental issues, creating public awareness campaigns.

New Mainers Fly Fishing Workshops: Maine Maritime Museum and Confluence Collective offered three summer fly fishing workshops for 60 immigrant, refugee, and asylee students in grades 6-12, fostering connections with Maine's natural resources.

New Mainer Kennebec River Ecology Cruises: Maine Maritime Museum partnered with Intercultural Community Center to provide Kennebec River cruises aboard Merrymeeting for ICC's Power Summer program participants, supporting English-language development for immigrant, refugee, and asylee youth.

Mariners Adventure Camp: Middle school students explored Maine's forestry history through hands-on activities including carpentry, science experiments, and forest hikes, focusing on trees' historical role and students' social-emotional development.

The 2024 Forest Immersion Summer Intensive gave high school students hands-on experience studying Maine's forest ecosystems. Students conducted scientific research on wildlife and forest management, analyzed data, and developed solutions while gaining technical skills with forest management tools.

The Game Loft and I Know ME program conducted year-round outdoor activities for the Belfast community, including camping, outdoor role-playing, and hiking.

Summer Compass Program: RSU1 middle school students participated in free outdoor programming featuring team-building, leadership challenges, mountain biking, skateboarding, woodworking, trail work, baking, and gardening.

Waypoint Program: Midcoast Youth Center's six-year mentorship program paired RSU1 students with adult mentors for outdoor education, leadership development, and career preparation. Students experienced annual overnight outdoor trips across Maine and New England.

Participants conducted stewardship projects in Portland's parks, received mentorship, learned park management, and experienced outdoor adventures with SailMaine and Maine Island Trail Association, earning stipends.

PreK-12 students participated in greenhouse activities starting Fall 2024, including vegetable harvesting, cafeteria crop production, and composting. Teachers and Garden Club coordinated activities like planting, seedling management, composting, and integrated academic lessons.

Rippleeffect served students in grades 6-12 at their summer outdoor programs on Cow Island in Casco Bay. Offerings included:   

• WAVES, a five-day summer day camp program for 7th and 8th graders focused on sea kayaking with an optional overnight. 

• Islanders, a week-long overnight program for 6th graders based on Cow Island focused on leadership skills, outdoor living practices, and kayaking. 

• Explorers, a week-long overnight for 7th and 8th graders which includes a one-night paddling trip and visits to nearby Casco Bay islands. 

• Journeys, a week-long overnight camp for 8-10th graders with visits to nearby islands and a two-night paddling trip. 

• Trippleffect, a ten-day adventure kayak in Casco Bay and backpacking trip in the White Mountains. 

• Paddle Trek, a week-long expedition offered to 7-9th graders who studied marine ecosystems while camping on different Casco Bay islands each night. 

• Sea Kayak Guide-in-Training Program, Rippleffect’s most advanced program, was offered to students grade 10 and above. This was an 11-night sea kayak expedition to transform students “from participant to guide.” 

ROLE: Middle school students completed weekly 4-hour skill building sessions culminating in a 3-day wilderness expedition. High school students participated in semester-long courses with field expeditions. Lyman Moore Middle School offered a daily semester-long course.

Cow Island: Partner school students attended summer camp expeditions and overnight programs at the Casco Bay campus.

Internship: Eight high school students from partner schools served as Rippleffect Intern Guides & Environmental Stewards during summer internships.

Empowering Futures: The Empowering Futures program provided gardening and culinary classes for 6th-12th grade students in Fryeburg area.

Implemented integrated curriculum combining outdoor education with leadership development through paddling, fishing, biking, camping, and hiking units.

The Maine Forest Collaborative empowered rural youth through project-based learning focused on forest communities. Students solved natural resource challenges using design thinking and place-based approaches, participating in outdoor experiences and field trips with community partners.

Program offered two sessions:

Session 1: High school students built 12' Bevins Skiffs in teams of five, learning tool use, measurement, and rowing skills.

Session 2: Middle school students used these boats for coastal ecology studies, exploring tide pools and mudflats while learning navigation, species identification, and water sampling.

Piloted "Introduction to Field Studies" for seventh-graders, integrating outdoor education with literacy, math, and science standards.

The Schoodic Institute successfully engaged 2,000 Maine students in summer day programs and 200 additional students in the immersive Schoodic Education Adventure (SEA) program. These outdoor, hands-on education programs on the rugged Maine coast encouraged students to solve problems through experimentation and critical thinking. The programs aimed to increase science literacy and appreciation for coastal resources, while offering no- to low-cost options and scholarships for under-resourced schools and families. Additionally, living-wage internship positions were created to support careers in outdoor education.

Provided three-day environmental education at Acadia National Park through SEA program, delivering 22+ hours of curriculum-based instruction aligned with science standards.

Launched ECHO after-school program for 25 Somali Bantu students, connecting youth with outdoor careers and farming through weekly educational excursions and intergenerational learning.

Free Ski Day: Teens to Trails hosted skiing and tubing at Black Mountain on March 10th.

Life Happens Outside Challenge: Middle schools competed by tracking outdoor time for one week, with activities ranging from sports to homework outdoors.

Middle School Camden Hills Campout: Offered free weekend camping at Birch Point Beach State Park, featuring hiking and outdoor activities.

Adventure Bound: Outdoor Clubs camped at Caratunk, participating in ropes courses, climbing, hiking, paddling, and whitewater rafting on the Kennebec River.

Teens to Trails also provided year-round guided canoe trips, wilderness first aid classes, and school recreation trips.