POLAND — Agassiz Village, a nonprofit overnight summer camp on Thompson Lake, will open for the summer season of 2021, after much consideration due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agassiz feels it is critical for youth to have camp, especially this summer. And for the first time in its 86-year history, Agassiz is opening its doors to youth in Maine.

Historically, Agassiz Village has served children from under-resourced communities in the Greater Boston area. Under the leadership of a new executive director, Lisa Carter, Agassiz Village’s board of directors has decided to expand its reach to communities in need in greater Portland.

“When I started as the executive director last year, I realized the great need in and around Poland, Maine, where we are located, for kids to attend Agassiz Village, so I am thrilled we will be offering our programs to kids and teens in Poland and surrounding communities like Lewiston and Portland,” Carter said.

Through new partnerships with Lewiston, Poland, Oxford and Portland public schools, Agassiz Village plans to recruit kids from those communities this summer and give them the opportunity to attend Agassiz Village for two weeks.

Agassiz specializes in serving kids from families with parents who may be incarcerated, children living without a parent or in foster care, kids who have faced trauma in their lives and kids from low-income families.

Agassiz is planning in-person sessions, July 5-16, July 19-30 and Aug. 2-13.

Due to restrictions related to COVID-19, Agassiz will operate at 60% capacity and will follow all CDC and local health department guidelines such as social distancing, face coverings, enhanced cleaning and hygiene protocols, staying outside as much as possible, symptom monitoring, pre-arrival quarantine and testing at arrival and during camp sessions.

For more information, visit agassizvillage.org.