By Hazel Stark
Co-Founder of Maine Outdoor School, L3C

Now into its second decade of programming, the Cobscook Experiential Program for High School Students is enjoying steady enrollment. When I arrived at the beautiful Cobscook Institute campus on a recent foggy autumn morning to talk with students, they were preparing for their first canoe trip of the school year.

Due to the pandemic, this four-day canoe trip required preparing for a little differently. Without enough tents for each student to have their own, for example, students had researched tent-camping alternatives so that no one would have to share sleeping spaces. Some had chosen to hammock camp and others had learned how to build effective tarp shelters. What a great example of experiential learning: solving real-world problems through research and practical application.

The impact of this program comes through best from the words of the students themselves, so here is a small sampling of what students shared with me in early October:

Why are you a student here?

• “I did well at my previous high school, but I didn’t enjoy learning by just sitting in the classroom. Here, you move around a lot more, which I realized I need. We have many different methods of learning here, including learning outdoors.”

• “It’s more hands-on. I fidget a lot, and at other schools, that got me in a lot of trouble. Things are calmer here and the teachers are kind.”

• “I actually didn’t want to come here for high school at first. I wanted the typical high school experience, like with prom! But I attended River Camp, went on my first canoe trip, and I liked it. I decided to come to high school here and I made more friends than I had at my previous school, and my grades even got better. I don’t feel lost in a crowd. And now I’m going on my sixth canoe trip!”

What has been a highlight of your time here?

• “I really like our little community. There is always that moment when you walk up to school in the morning and you’re tired and think you don’t want to be there. But once you open the door and everyone is there having a good time—it feels good to have that positive attitude greet you every day. It makes me want to come to school.”

• “The trips: learning and experiencing things that not everyone has the opportunity to do. Everyone has a niche they fulfill here. It’s like a puzzle, where every one of us brings something different to a greater whole.”

I asked all students whether they think the high school program is important. Everyone said yes, accentuated by enthusiastic nods, big smiles, and wide eyes. The bond they have with each other and with their teachers was a common theme, as was the fact that they learn real life skills. Emrys, who is in his third year of the program, added, “I think that if more programs were to take this example, it would have a very positive effect on helping more students develop broader perspectives and think for themselves. One size doesn’t fit all, so there should be more educational options like Cobscook.”

Several students added that if any potential funders want to learn more about the program, they are invited to come play four-square with them at lunchtime.