Washington County Expands Its Extended Learning Opportunities for Youth

(Pictured: Youth at the DownEast Teen Leadership Camp.)

Thanks to an Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Expansion grant from the Maine Department of Education (DOE), Healthy Acadia is working to provide more ELO opportunities to young people in Washington County in a variety of ways.

Last July, forty-three teenagers from Downeast Maine enjoyed Healthy Acadia’s 2024 DownEast Teen Leadership Camp (DETLC), a weeklong overnight summer camp experience at the Cobscook Institute in Trescott. DETLC is primarily a camp for youth, led by youth. The program challenges and empowers youth by providing them with the skills necessary to be leaders and workers in their communities.

The program begins months before the actual summer camp experience in January, when a youth advisory team takes the lead in planning the camp’s activities, ensuring that campers have a say in shaping their own experiences. This unique approach allows for the camp to feel personalized, as activities and discussions are specifically designed to reflect the interests of the participants.

Throughout the week, campers engage in various activities to promote leadership, community bonding, and holding space for healthy discussions. Students participate in workshops sponsored by regional and statewide businesses and organizations, as well as other physical team-building exercises that further build self-confidence and community. These immersive activities help campers to explore new interests, push their comfort zones, and form lasting connections.

“One of my favorite parts of camp as a youth staff member is the family groups,” Naomi Eyerman, DETLC 2024 Student Staff Media and Arts Coordinator, shared. “It’s great to get to know campers on a more personal level. Family groups really foster connections and are safe spaces where campers can have fun, as well as open up and get deep. DETLC overall has so many unique experiences that make camp truly memorable.”

Family group time plays an important role in the overall philosophy and structure of DETLC.  Through Community Sessions and Mini-Workshops, students begin to develop an awareness of relationships, coping skills and issues with substances and other sensitive topics.  Family Group is a place to question, discuss, and put into practice what campers learn in the community sessions and mini-workshops. This can be done by questioning and discussing workshop content, relating issues to their personal lives, sharing thoughts and feelings, practicing life skills, and building on their self-esteem.

ELO coordinator Corrie Hunkler, who works for Healthy Acadia, spearheaded DETLC. In her recent endeavors, Hunkler has also worked with the Coastal Washington County Institute of Technology (CWCIT) and Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) to further her work with ELOs in Washington County and the surrounding areas.

Hunkler is helping to create tangible pathways for students to explore their interests and career aspirations. This hands-on support is reflected in the 53 students she has helped to engage in meaningful work opportunities, such as coordinating the Washington County Leadership Challenge, which allows students, teachers, and civic leaders to collaborate to formulate plans and create goals to address relevant local civic issues; and group trips like the Maine Youth Leadership Conference, which brings eight students to Augusta, providing workshops and guest speakers to help participants learn valuable leadership skills.

Through programs like these, ELOs continue to open doors for young people in the region. The Early Childhood Education program at CWCIT has embedded ELOs into its Wednesday class time, for example, ensuring that even more students are introduced to these vital opportunities—and that those opportunities remain accessible to all students in the region.

“We don’t have classes on gender studies; we don’t have classes on environmental science; and so it’s [ELOs] allowing kids who maybe have an interest or passion to be able to do what they’re interested in, and I think that’s so important,” Hunkler said. “This work is just so key in places that don’t have as much access to things.”

These efforts are integral to broadening the horizons of students in Maine who may otherwise lack the resources and opportunities to explore their passions. Providing these pathways for personal and academic growth is vital for creating a more inclusive and empowered future generation, especially in rural communities like those in Washington County.

To view a short clip of ELOs in Washington County and to learn more about Healthy Acadia and its ELO community support, contact Corrie Hunkler at corrie.hunkler@healthyacadia.org.

For more information about Extended Learning Opportunities, contact Lana Sawyer at lana.sawyer@maine.gov. Healthy Acadia was an awardee of Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan grants, starting in 2022, that supported 26 programs across Maine, covering 13 counties.