CARIBOU — Students enrolled in the physical education classes at Caribou High School embarked on a new adventure in the curriculum this past winter thanks to a grant provided by the Maine Community Foundation in the form of Fast Track Grants.
Contributed photo
Students, from left, Jared Doody, Aaron Trefethen, Dayna Michaud, Devin Cyr, Dana Grass, Keith Draper, Rachel Levesque and James Seward-Doucette didn’t have cold feet when it came to slipping on the brand new snowshoes at the Caribou High School. The new snow gear was made possible through a Fast Track Grant by the Maine Community Foundation.
“Thanks goes to the Perloff Family Foundation for the funding of this project,” said Evan Graves, physical education teacher at the school.”
According to the Maine Community Foundation’s web page, Fast Track Grants encourage Maine teachers to become educational innovators committed to planning, risk taking and results. Working individually or as part of a team, these are teachers who are motivated to undertake and complete ground-breaking projects that benefit the school, its students and their community. Additional information can be obtained by visiting www.fastgrants.org.
Graves commented that the grant was a great addition to the physical education program and allows the students in the physical education classes to learn a new lifetime activity.
“With the trail system that we have at Caribou High School it was an easy decision to write a grant for this equipment,” he said. “We get the snow and it allows us to show the kids just how fun and beneficial to our health that snowshoeing can be.”
Caribou High School received 26 pairs of snowshoes from L.L.Bean in a variety of sizes through the grant.
The grant affords winter recreation opportunities outside of the classroom as well, with application in after-school activities with the outing club and wellness opportunities for the faculty and staff in the RSU 39 school district.
“Throughout the winter teachers and some community members took advantage of using the snowshoes for group treks, which helped people to get outside throughout the winter and get some welcomed exercise,” Graves said.
