Maine Academy of Natural Sciences Offers Learning Tour to Highlight Outdoor and Experiential Learning Opportunities

Are you a middle or high school educator interested in providing more outdoor and experiential learning opportunities to your students? If so, consider attending a Learning Tour at the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences in Hinckley on Wednesday, Nov. 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will highlight the school's new Maker Space barn and blacksmithing shop, among other features.

In August of 2020, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) received $16.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education's Rethink K-12 Education Models Grants. Maine was one of 11 states to receive funding and used it to launch the Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) project, a multi-pronged solution with a primary goal of generating innovative remote learning models to provide equitable access to high-quality remote learning opportunities for all students. The RREV Research & Design (R&D) team is continuing the momentum of this work by offering learning tours and fostering peer-to-peer professional learning.

Over a span of four years, 42 school districts in Maine were awarded RREV pilot funding. The Maine Academy of Natural Sciences used its innovative pilot to expand outdoor and experiential learning opportunities with the creation of a barn and a blacksmithing shop. At the Nov. 13 Learning Tour, educators will have an opportunity to see this new Maker Space barn, observe the variety of outdoor and experiential learning opportunities available, watch blacksmithing in action, and talk to teachers and students about their process and experience implementing this innovative pilot.

This Learning Tour is limited to 10 additional Maine educators. If you are interested in joining this tour, please reach out to Elaine Bartley, the RREV R&D Director, at [email protected].

Click here to learn more about other innovative RREV pilots and find a list of upcoming learning tours, available throughout the school year.