AUGUSTA - A bill introduced by Rep. Kathy Shaw, D-Auburn, would establish a pathway for school districts around the state to implement outdoor experiential education programs.
LD 1682 would create a grant program to facilitate new staff positions within participating public schools dedicated to providing hands-on, experiential learning opportunities related to gardens, food and agriculture to improve healthy academic, physical and emotional development for students. The bill would further establish the Maine Experiential Education Program Fund within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to provide ongoing resources for the program.
"As a lifelong farmer, I feel fortunate to have been able to experience firsthand the power of knowing where my food comes from and the joy of being able to support my community with this most basic need," said Shaw. "But for adults and kids today, the source of their food is a mystery or something they take for granted. We have a responsibility to this generation and the next to ensure that the heritage industries that have been the backbone of Maine's identity for decades are not lost. We can and should do this through facilitating these skills in our public education system."
The bill does not outline a particular experiential education curriculum that schools must adopt. Rather, it establishes a funding mechanism for schools who wish to participate, recognizing that different communities may have different, regionally-specific agricultural and educational environments.
The Legislature referred Shaw's bill to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry on Tuesday. A public hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 26 at 1 p.m.
Through the Legislature's website, members of the public can view public hearing schedules, sign up to testify live before the committee and access a livestream of the committee hearings online.
Shaw is serving her first term in the Maine House representing part of Auburn. A lifelong farmer and president of the Cumberland and Falmouth farmers markets, Shaw serves on Legislature's Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.
Contact:
Brian Lee [Shaw], c. 305-965-2744