Bill > LD550

This bill establishes the Maine Experiential Education Program to support outdoor, agricultural-based, and hands-on learning in public schools. The program will be administered by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and aims to develop a grant system that helps schools create positions supporting students' academic, physical, and emotional development through experiential learning. The bill creates a Maine Experiential Education Program Fund that will provide multi-year grants to public schools, with a cost-sharing model where the fund covers 100% of a position's cost in the first year, gradually reducing to 0% by the third year. The program will focus on establishing roles like garden coaches, educational technicians, and teachers to support farm and sea to school learning programs, which incorporate agricultural education, school gardens, local food procurement, and seafood education. Schools can receive grants to create positions that help students build connections between local food production and consumption, maintain school gardens, and provide hands-on learning experiences. The department will collaborate with the Department of Education and other organizations to implement the program and must submit an annual report detailing the successes and challenges of introducing experiential education. The bill's implementation is contingent upon securing external funding from federal or private sources.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=550&snum=132