AUGUSTA - Rep. Kathy Shaw, D-Auburn, introduced a bill Wednesday before the Legislature's Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee to support Maine schools in establishing 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. Participation in this program would be voluntary. 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.
"For generations Mainers have been working the land to grow food for themselves and their communities," said Shaw. "But what once was a cornerstone of life in Maine has been fading. Providing hands-on opportunities for students to reclaim those skills not only serves the health and wellbeing of those kids, it also prepares future generations to work in industries that are so important to our states economy and identity."
Research shows that contact with nature provides numerous benefits for children experiencing increased sedentary behavior and attention deficit disorder, including improved mental, social and physical health. Further evidence suggests that outdoor education in particular enhances students sense of self-esteem, conflict resolution skills, leadership, motivation to learn and overall interpersonal interactions.
While Maine does not currently provide a coordinated, statewide investment in outdoor experiential learning, school garden and food education are already supported by organizations like Maine Farm and Sea to School Network, Gulf of Maine Research Institutes education curriculum, The Ecology School, FoodCorps and Full Plates Full Potential.
"Working in classrooms, I have witnessed that students are far more likely to try new things and make healthier choices if they are engaged in the process of growing and cooking prior to eating," said Kirsten Tenney, community engagement manager for Full Plates Full Potential. "Connecting nutrition education to meals provided by school nutrition encourages students to participate in school breakfast and school lunch programs."
FoodCorps is a national nonprofit organization that partners with schools in 13 states to provide students with experiential learning opportunities tied to food, cooking and gardening. For the past 12 years, the organization has worked with Maine communities across the state to provide hands-on lessons that get students excited about eating fruits and vegetables and support school nutrition staff in getting nourishing meals on school trays.
"FoodCorps joins our partners in recognizing the incredible value of experience to the development of young minds which grow into thoughtful, contributing citizens," said Ryan Parker, FoodCorps Maine impact and partnerships lead. "With our limited resources, we are only currently in seven communities throughout Maine. At the current rate, it would take FoodCorps nearly 800 years to reach every school and every kid, most of whom would thrive if they could grow up with experiential education as the norm."
The bill will have a work session in the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee in the coming weeks.
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], 305-965-2744