Our Mission:
To connect Maine teens to life-changing outdoor experiences
Our Vision:
All teens have the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, together.
What we do:
Teens to Trails works with schools to build meaningful relationships between students, caring adults and the natural world by sharing time together outdoors.
We provide adult and student leaders with the training, financial support, and reliable resources they need to start and sustain an exciting Outdoor Club at their school. When a school registers with Teens to Trails, they benefit from all that we offer, including:
Professional Development in outdoor leadership and risk management.
Programming that builds skills through fun adventures and new activities shared with other Outdoor Clubs from all over Maine.
Grants to for transportation, trip expenses and overcome other cost barriers to getting outside.
Trip lotteries for free adventures which we plan - all you need to do is set the schedule.
Reliable advice and support from our staff.
Suggestions for ways to connect all students to the outdoors such as adaptive accommodations, and outdoor activities for PE and Health classes.
Scholarships to summer camps and outdoor leadership courses.
Free Gear! Every club registered with Teens to Trails is automatically a member of Maine GearShare, a lending library for all your clothing, boots, backpacking and base camping needs.
You are part of a statewide network of teachers who are just as committed, caring, curious, and challenged as you are - we help each other!
Ready to register your school with Teens to Trails?
We Believe:
Teenagers are losing their connection with nature at an accelerated pace, and we want to reverse this trend
Being outdoors provides essential nourishment, inspiration, and wholeness.
In the importance of time to just be in nature, without measurement, agenda, or distraction.
Experience in nature with peers is critical for teenage development. It creates love and care for each other, ourselves, and our planet.
School outdoor clubs create inclusive, non-competitive experiences that break down social barriers and build life long habits of wellness.
Our Values:
We build community through collaboration and shared outdoor play.
We value diversity, practice inclusion, and fund equitable access to the outdoors.
We are good stewards of our resources, our places, and ourselves.
We embrace healthy risk taking.
We honor the differences among us.
