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Acadia National Park
Providing Learning Adventures for Teachers & Students
Learn more about how Friends of Acadia is helping to expand access and deliver innovative programming to help students explore, learn, and connect with nature and our favorite national park.
Research shows that learning outside is stimulating, fun, and increases student health and academic outcomes through spending time in nature.
Friends of Acadia is helping to improve outdoor learning opportunities for students and schools in Maine, and beyond, by supporting education rangers in Acadia National Park to deliver a host of programming. Friends of Acadia also supports grants for classroom field trips to Acadia, residential education in the park, outdoor classrooms on school campuses, teacher professional development, and more.
Friends of Acadia is honored to support students, schools, and communities as they begin to recover from loss of learning brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to the superhero teachers for stewarding our children, to the education staff at Acadia National Park, and to the thousands of Friends of Acadia members for supporting these impactful partnerships.
ACADIA TEACHER FELLOWS
Education Rangers partnered with local teachers to develop curricula that integrates outdoor and nature-based education in area schools.
Learn MoreOUTDOOR TEACHER COLLABORATIVE
The Outdoor Teacher Collaborative is a sister program focused on local teachers—typically within an hour of Acadia National Park—who come to Acadia one day a week for four weeks. Teachers who participate in the Outdoor Teacher Collaborative may also be recipients of one of Friends of Acadia’s Outdoor Classroom Grants.
Learn MoreOUTDOOR CLASSROOM GRANTS
An outdoor classroom is an innovative educational space that brings learning to life by bringing the learning outside. Grants are available to schools to develop outdoor spaces tied to Acadia.
Learn MoreSCHOODIC EDUCATION ADVENTURE
Schoodic Education Adventure is Acadia National Park’s residential education program for middle school students.
Learn MoreYELLOW BUS FUND
Recognizing that transportation costs may be prohibitive for some schools to plan a field trip to the park, Friends of Acadia has offered transportation scholarships via the Yellow Bus Fund.
Learn MoreNATURE STUDY KITS
2,500 Nature Kits were distributed to all K-8 grade students in surrounding communities to assist families and schools in outdoor discovery during COVID.
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