UMAINE • August 25, 2025
Maine Outdoor School for All is launching this fall thanks to $450,000 secured from private foundations, and bipartisan legislation establishing the program sponsored by state Sen. Rick Bennett and signed into law in May by Gov. Janet Mills. The program will be administered by University of Maine Cooperative Extension, which will make grants to certified outdoor learning centers, enabling them to provide students in grades four through eight immersive, three-day, two-night outdoor educational experiences. With the establishment of the program in state statute, initial private funding and a campaign to raise an additional $1 million this year, Maine has become one of just four states committed to providing outdoor learning opportunities for all public school students. UMaine Extension expects the program will serve 1,000 additional students in 2025-26. When fully funded at $6 million annually, the program will be accessible to all students in grades four through eight in the state.