Monmouth Academy Outdoor Club, at Baldpate Mountain near Newry, includes (from left) Quade Black, Lucas Hand, James Paradis, Zara Salk, Dustin Wright and Nick Fournier. Submitted photo

BRUNSWICK — Teens to Trails, a nonprofit with a mission to connect Maine’s middle and high school students with life-changing experiences outdoors, has named its Grants to Clubs winners for the 2022-23 school year.

The grants, made possible by L.L.Bean and Evergreen Credit Union, provide outdoor clubs registered with Teens to Trails an opportunity to use the money towards gear, transportation, programming, professional guide and park fees or safety and skills training, according to a news release from Jen Hazard, communications manager.

The 24 schools awarded a total of $11,500 statewide include Lewiston High, Monmouth Academy, Mt. Abram Regional, Telstar, Sacopee Valley, Upper Kennebec Valley Jr./Sr. High, Maine Academy of Natural Sciences, Athens Community School and The Ecology Learning Center.

The schools each have their own plans for using the funds — from overnight hiking and rafting trips to gear for winter hiking and canoeing.

Corey Walker, the outdoor club advisor at Lewiston High School, says he empowered his students to decide how best to approach their financial needs: “Larson Stone, our student leader, and the other students decided that they really want to do an overnight trip to Maine Huts & Trails. To make it affordable, they are thinking of ways to fundraise money and this grant was one of the things they chose to pursue.”

“With funding help, adventures are all the more accessible for our students, who need the outdoors more than ever,” Teens to Trails Executive Director Alicia Heyburn said. “Experience in nature creates love and care for each other, ourselves, and our planet.”

Teens To Trails is a charitable nonprofit dedicated to connecting high school students to life-changing outdoor experiences with a vision that all teens have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors together.

To view the full list of winners, or for more information, visit teenstotrails.org.

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