NMCC students explore with

    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine  –  Snowshoeing, skiing and ice fishing are among the activities participants enrolled in the Northern Maine Community College inaugural spring semester Discover Aroostook course will engage in as they learn about the numerous recreation and cultural opportunities available in the County during the winter and spring months.
    On the heels of a successful first-time offering of the adventure-based course this fall, NMCC officials are looking ahead to the coming semester and a new set of seasonally-appropriate field experience opportunities that introduce students to the County through many unique, hands-on learning activities.
Outings planned for participants enrolling in the course, which begins on Thursday, Jan. 18, and meets regularly through May, include ice fishing on a local lake, snowshoeing and Alpine, cross-country and back-country skiing at some of the best spots in the County for outdoor activities. Students will also learn about and experience the Can-Am Sled Dog Races in Fort Kent and later in the semester will visit a local maple syrup farm during tapping season and canoe on area lakes and rivers.
The primary goal in developing the course was to introduce students to northernmost Maine and enable them to better understand and appreciate the outdoor environment in, and culture of, Aroostook County. College officials also see the class as a tool to help curbing out-migration from the region.
In the upcoming spring session as in the fall session, field trips follow classroom lectures, assigned readings or some other introductory activities to help students gain as much understanding about what they experience. In addition, students are required to keep updated entries in a reflective journal and document, through photography and videography, their experience for a final semester public presentation on their learning experience.
Once completed it is expected students will have: explored a variety of outdoor adventure experiences; developed an awareness of and appreciation for environmental responsibilities and ethics; practiced and applied skills learned in the classroom and the field; learned the value, meaning and benefits of leisure in life, especially as it relates to the out of doors in Aroostook County; gained a better appreciation for the history of the region and its unique lore; and demonstrated respect for the communities visited.
It is that misconception of the area by locals that was recently cited by developers of a proposed four-season resort in the region as an area of concern that needed to be addressed. Egeler also refers to a 2004 report titled “Migration and Youth Migration from Aroostook County,” prepared by economists Charles Colgan and Bruce Andrews, which revealed factors influencing student decisions to live in Aroostook County after graduation.
In addition to supporting local initiatives to curb out-migration and grow the economy of the region, NMCC officials also see the course and the spirit of engagement fostered between student, College and Aroostook community as a factor that will result in an increased graduation rate.