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MEXICO — Western Foothills Kids Association was awarded a $7,500 grant from the Maine Community Foundation that will fund some outdoor advenutre for students.
The money will pay for mountain bikes and supplies for a Junior Maine Guide program, pay for additional staff to help with the JMG program and another outdoor program for younger kids at Black Mountain of Maine, and scholarship students from Dirigo Elementary School to attend the Black Mountain of Maine Adventure Camp.
“It was a wonderful month for not only the kids, but our staff,” said Miki Skehan, director of Western Foothills Kids Association. “Our kids as well as the kids attending the Black Mountain of Maine Adventure Camp were able to learn compass and mapping skills, shelter building, fire starting, campfire cooking and paddling.”
Skehan said that registered Maine Guide Todd Papianou “did a tremendous job instructing and even went above and beyond to teach kids rock climbing and belaying at the Mountain Valley High School Ropes Course.”
“He also led a few paddling lessons in canoes, which the kids really enjoyed,” Skehan said. “Additionally, we had three kids learn to ride bikes without training wheels and several hit the Nordic trails with the new bikes at Black Mountain.”
She said that without the grant, “All of these opportunities would not have been possible. We are incredibly thankful for the support from the Maine Community Foundation.”
The Western Maine Foothills Kids Association is the after school program provider for Regional School Unit10. It offers after school programs at Dirigo Elementary School and Mountain Valley Middle School as well as the Full STEAM Ahead summer program.
PHOTO: Kids participating in the Western Foothills Kids Association program ride mountain bikes bought with a a grant from Maine Community Foundation. (Submitted photo)
