Published November 6, 2024 by Caroline LeCour, News Center Maine.
With support through the Maine Department of Education, teachers are helping students thrive beyond the traditional classroom settings.
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FALMOUTH, Maine — For many teachers, keeping students engaged in a traditional classroom setting can feel like an uphill battle.
As an alternative education teacher through Biddeford Schools, Tabatha Frawkins says she sees this challenge regularly with her students who previously struggled to thrive. "They just don’t wanna be there; they have so much anxiety… the big classrooms make them feel like they’re not getting what they need,'" Frawkins said.
But thanks to grant funding through the Maine Department of Education, she's seen several of her students come into their own after taking part in outdoor learning programs; and she's not alone. "I thrive also in the outdoors, so it's sort of my happy place," Frawkins said.
Since the pandemic, MaineDOE leaders have been promoting outdoor learning initiatives thanks to federal emergency relief funding. On Wednesday, the department unveiled its newest addition: the Maine Outdoor Learning Pavilion.
Located on Mackworth Island in Falmouth, the covered pavilion will be a permanent space for schools to book out and offer outdoor programming for students.
"The space will have internet and lab tables... we will have ready-to-go educational resources for learning on the island, at all levels," MaineDOE Chief Innovation Officer Page Nichols said. "So we're just really excited for this to be here, long into the future for Maine schools to expand their own outdoor learning."
Educators argue outdoor learning not only helps keep students engaged, but can enhance learning through hands-on activities and experiences to help students connect with their work.
Another draw outdoor learning is to offer a balanced approach to screens, as more technology has entered Maine's classrooms than years prior. "It is one of the only things that allows and causes students to put their phones down," Nichols said.
To book a day at the Maine Outdoor Pavilion, you can visit the MaineDOE Outdoor Learning Initiative webpage.
The Maine Department of Education Opens New Outdoor Learning Pavilion on Mackworth Island
The Maine Outdoor Learning Pavilion is the latest effort by the Maine Department of Education to support outdoor education in Maine.
FALMOUTH, Maine — On Wednesday, Nov. 6, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) unveiled the Maine Outdoor Learning Pavilion on Mackworth Island, marking another milestone in the push to combat pandemic-related learning loss through outdoor education.
The pavilion is the latest addition to the Maine DOE’s Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, which has connected more than 14,000 students to high-quality outdoor learning programs since 2021. This past summer, thousands of Maine students participated in more than 100 outdoor programs, from backpacking the Appalachian Trail to learning to sail to exploring nature-based careers.
“Outdoor learning is central to student engagement, health, and wellbeing” said Maine DOE Commissioner Pender Makin. “Since the summer of 2021, we’ve invested more than $11 million in the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative to provide students with highly-engaging outdoor and environmental learning opportunities.”
"Before last year, I thought that learning was meant for classrooms," George, an eighth-grade student from Scarborough Middle School, said. "I realized how being outside can teach us so much, from hands-on learning to real-life scenarios. The outdoors was a great environment to learn. It provided plenty of fresh air, along with a break from sitting still. When we were outside, I felt happier and had more energy. When we came back inside, I was relaxed, focused, and ready to learn."
The new facility unveiled on Wednesday, nestled in the woods at the center of Mackworth Island, features a pavilion and an adjacent lawn, designed to make outdoor education more accessible for Maine schools.
"The Maine Outdoor Learning Pavilion is a place where schools can bring students to make learning come alive," Jonathan Ross, superintendent of the Acton School Department and Maine DOE Outdoor Learning Initiative Coordinator, said. "Maine schools can bring a class here, teach a lesson under the pavilion or inside where we will have desks and bathrooms, and then take that lesson onto the trails around the island."
At Wednesday's event, students and educators from Scarborough, South Portland, Biddeford, Wiscasset, and Acton schools shared their experiences with the Maine Outdoor Learning Program.
Sarah, an eighth-grade student from Wiscasset Middle School, emphasized the program's impact on her education.
"The biggest lessons that I learned last year were that learning is all around us, and the things that you can learn outdoors are so worthwhile," she said. "Even if you think that you don't need a break from your school day, going outside and giving your brain breaks is always helpful."
Tabatha Frawkins, a science teacher at Biddeford Alternative Pathways Center, shared powerful feedback from parents about the program's effectiveness. She said one parent told her, "The wilderness program gave me back my son and all his glory and gave my son back the confidence and the desire to attend school. He went on to attend leadership classes for his senior year and is on track to graduate."
Wednesday’s event concluded with a nature-based scavenger hunt across the island, which Ross and the Maine DOE coordinated.
The Maine Outdoor Learning Pavilion was created using federal emergency relief funding as part of Maine's Whole Student Pandemic Response and represents the Maine DOE's broader commitment to outdoor education. For more information, please visit the Maine DOE Newsroom.
To reserve the pavilion, schools may reach out to Jonathan Ross at jonathan.ross@maine.gov.