Seventh Graders Participate in Experiential Ecology Opportunity

By: Sam Bonsey, Sanford Schools Communication Coordinator

Sanford Middle School seventh graders embarked on an educational adventure at The Ecology School in Saco last week, participating in an overnight, two-and-a-half day program that combined outdoor learning with community building in ways that will impact students throughout their middle school years.

The trip was the result of planning and collaboration spearheaded by SMS science teacher Diana Allen.

The planning involved careful investigation and getting approval from school administration and the school committee. The trip became possible through Maine’s new Outdoor School for All Maine Students Program, recently signed into law by Governor Mills. While the program doesn’t have state funding, the Maine Outdoor School for All Network has raised over $500,000 to launch the initiative. As part of this effort, each participating outdoor education center selects a Maine school – and The Ecology School chose to partner with Sanford Middle School.

“This is phenomenal experiential learning,” said Sara Nason, a Sanford Middle School teacher who helped chaperone the trip. All classes took place outdoors in natural settings, with students moving between different ecological sites and building knowledge as they explored. The school’s location right on the banks of the Saco River, complete with a granite amphitheater and open-air facilities, created a learning environment where natural sunlight and fresh air enhanced each lesson.

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