By Hillary Hallett
Special to The Star-Herald
EASTON, Maine — As Easton High School students entered their school this past week, there were 11 new faces who were anxious to learn about life at Easton High School and Aroostook County! These youth were here on an exchange program from Casco Bay High School in Portland.
“I am from Aroostook County and have a love for its people and beautiful landscape,” said Scott Shibles, Casco Bay teacher and director of student life. “At CBHS we often study about faraway places and foreign cultures. I felt it was important to look closer to home and to have kids delve into the differences between northern and southern Maine.” CBHS is an expeditionary learning school, and field “work” is an important part of their educational model. They believe in providing opportunities for students to travel and seek answers to important questions from the people they visit.
“Maine is such a big state, and there seems to be a divide between northern and southern Maine, but I’ve also had a strong belief that kids are kids, and if we get them together, they’re going to find commonalities between both groups,” Shibles said.
The goal of this trip was to explore the differences/similarities of two very different communities within the confines of the state of Maine.
“The take away was that despite geographic, cultural, social and political differences in the two communities, students could learn and share ideas in an atmosphere of congeniality,” Shibles said.
“The greatest difference we found in the students was that CBHS all were interested in attending college out of state with little intent in coming back to Maine. Easton students all want to stay in state to go to school, and most want to come home if jobs are available,” said Easton High School teacher Ellen Trask. “Our students definitely have strong community ties which was really lacking in CBHS students by their own admission.”
The CBHS students loved the wide open spaces and fresh air. They were able to go on Gator rides through the woods and fields; none of them had ever been on an ATV! The group visited the Canadian border; many of them had never been to another country! They also toured Gentile Hall at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, and some showed interest in applying to UMPI.
“They had never thought of going north to school or even staying in-state,” shared Trask. The group even experienced an Amish barn-raising at Jacob Gingerich’s farm, and they were amazed at the process. Nathan Red, a CBHS junior, said of the exchange, “… the trip to Easton was amazing. I saw beautiful places, met wonderful people, and all around had a great time. This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I can’t wait for our Easton friends to come down to Portland in the spring.”
Most students found that while the size and location of their school might not be the same, as peers, they really aren’t that different.
“There’s really not a difference between kids; we’re all teenagers, we’re probably all going to have the same interests, which a lot of us do,” said Kristen West, an Easton High School student.
In the spring, students from Easton High School will be traveling to Portland to experience a day in the life of a Casco Bay student. Trask hopes this will become an annual learning adventure, but that will be up to the school board. When asked to wrap up the students’ experience, Shibles shared, “The trip and its educational value more than met our expectations. We can’t wait to host our visitors from Easton this spring.”
