CUSHING and HOPE — Cushing and Hope elementary schools are among 160 Maine Public Schools that received funding for their outdoor learning projects.

The shift to outdoor learning during the pandemic has offered schools the opportunity to reimagine their classrooms and the lessons they teach. The Maine Environmental Education Association (MEEA) strove to support this opportunity by distributing close to $200,000 this school year, funding 160 schools across the state, in all 16 counties. Teachers are using these funds to teach students about the natural world, provide them with skills that enable their independence, and ensure more time outside.

For the 2021-2022 school year, educators received up to $1,500 to support projects in the categories of Outdoor Classroom Solutions, Foul-Weather Gear, Garden/Greenhouse, Outdoor Recreation, Science Exploration, Art Outdoors, Curriculum and Professional Development, Snowshoes, and Birding. Applicants displayed new and creative ways to engage students in the outdoors and reported on the wide range of positive impacts to their students, from increased school attendance to academic learning outcomes to improved mental and physical health.

At Cushing Community School grant funds were used to build a story path. Community volunteers designed, built, and installed a series of "storyboards" that are placed along a trail. The intent is for students, classes, and/or families to walk the path and enjoy a book along the way.

“This wonderful new resource would not be possible without the support of community members who gave their time, energy and expertise,” said Principal Dawn Jones, in a Maine Environmental Education Association news release. “The Green Team vision was to inspire involvement with the natural world among all students, leading to an understanding of how all living things are connected and sustained with the help of caring communities. The Story Path is another step on this journey, and we couldn’t have created it without the help of our very own caring community.”

At Hope Elementary School MEEA funds were used to purchase tools and materials that improved the outdoor learning spaces and expanded the breadth and benefit of nature-based learning.

“Our ability to be outside and learn and grow along with the seasons has been supported by the gear that keeps us warm and dry, the tools that we’ve used to co-create our outdoor learning spaces and the materials needed to engage in continuous, meaningful, nature-based curriculum,” said teacher Sarah Schafer.

In the fall of 2020, MEEA started the Mini-Grants for Outdoor Learning Program, a program aimed at redistributing funds to give teachers support as they imagined classrooms outside. As enthusiasm for community based environmental learning has increased over the past two years, MEEA has continued to support teachers with these grants.

This year, teachers stretched to fill the gap between school funding and their students’ needs. Often with limited resources, teachers are accomplishing incredible projects, engaging a variety of students, and bringing outdoor learning to new extents across the state. The impact of these projects supports thousands of youth across the state! Supporting teachers and schools in the pursuit of outdoor learning is a critical piece of MEEA’s mission as the organization strives to enhance and amplify the efforts of individuals and organizations that are building environmental awareness, fostering appreciation and understanding of the environment, and taking action towards creating equitable and resilient communities.

“At MEEA we are so grateful for the amazing educators who have worked so hard this year to get their students outside learning!” said MEEA’s Executive Director, Olivia Griset. “Research shows that outdoor learning has hugely positive mental and physical health benefits and also academic benefits for youth. We also know that not all youth have access to the outdoors, which is an environmental justice issue. These teachers and projects happening in public schools across the state are helping to ensure that our youth have positive experiences gaining a deeper connection to nature in their local community. We are grateful to all the individuals who donated to make this project possible and to all the AMAZING teachers for their incredible work!”

MEEA continues to seek impactful partnerships with local communities and organizations during this changing cultural and environmental climate, as the equity-centered environmental work that MEEA creates plays a key role in building an environmentally literate Maine; where all people can engage civically and understand the relationship between their wellbeing and that of their environment.

MEEA plans to keep this program going by opening another round of applications this upcoming fall for the 2022-2023 school year. If you or your organization are interested in donating to this fund, please contact grants@meeassociation.org!