MOC Online Fundraiser 2019
Donation protected
The Memorial Outing Club has its sights set on spreading Outdoor Education across the district for South Portland schools. In 2018, we focused on increasing the number of students at Memorial who were biking, skiing, and camping with their classmates so that the groups better represented the demographics of our diverse school. While last year we had to turn away students without proper equipment, this year our gear library allowed us to actively seek out students from underserved and underrepresented groups, and those trying these activities for the first time. Thanks to our wildly successful GoFundMe campaign and the 1st Annual Chili Cook-Off, Silent Auction, & Raffle, we raised just under $5,000 and put those funds towards a gear library that now includes bikes, skis/boots/poles, and backpacking equipment.
We now provide all interested students with the opportunity to get outside and stay active throughout the school year. Whether we were kayaking Long Creek, mountain biking the school trails, or setting up tents around a cook fire at Bradbury Mountain, students have been making friends with common interests and experiencing the physical and emotional rewards reaped from hard work. Students use every bike and ski in our library during the Tuesday/Thursday activities, and we expect interest in these events to grow even more. In talking with staff members at other schools, it is clear that the factor that most limits teachers from planning outdoor activities is the lack of equipment and the logistics and cost associated with renting or travel.
With your help, our new mission is to start bringing these opportunities to students k-12 across the district, removing the barriers of equipment and logistics from any teacher looking to create exciting and transformative outdoor experiences.
We are grateful that so many people and organizations see this as a worthy cause. This year, we are asking for your help as we prepare to expand the reach of this endeavor to make outdoor education a pillar that supports South Portland students K-12. Early fundraising has already equipped a high school teacher with 13 skis and boots to take his Resiliency class skiing as part of their school day, AND start a new high school ski club. This spring, Memorial Middle School is piloting two sections of a leadership class designed and taught by instructors at the Kieve Leadership School, using equipment collected and purchased by our club. Participants use nearly every bike and ski we have on our Tuesday/Thursday outings. And as the leadership and members of the Building Committee plan a new consolidated building with outdoor education in mind, we could be adding kayaking and climbing to an even larger group of middle schoolers in the not-too-distant future.
Thank you so much for your support!
-Matt Lunt, MOC Advisor
P.S. - The 2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off will be held on Thursday, January 24th from 5:30-7:00 at Memorial Middle School. Please join us, and spread the word!
We now provide all interested students with the opportunity to get outside and stay active throughout the school year. Whether we were kayaking Long Creek, mountain biking the school trails, or setting up tents around a cook fire at Bradbury Mountain, students have been making friends with common interests and experiencing the physical and emotional rewards reaped from hard work. Students use every bike and ski in our library during the Tuesday/Thursday activities, and we expect interest in these events to grow even more. In talking with staff members at other schools, it is clear that the factor that most limits teachers from planning outdoor activities is the lack of equipment and the logistics and cost associated with renting or travel.
With your help, our new mission is to start bringing these opportunities to students k-12 across the district, removing the barriers of equipment and logistics from any teacher looking to create exciting and transformative outdoor experiences.
We are grateful that so many people and organizations see this as a worthy cause. This year, we are asking for your help as we prepare to expand the reach of this endeavor to make outdoor education a pillar that supports South Portland students K-12. Early fundraising has already equipped a high school teacher with 13 skis and boots to take his Resiliency class skiing as part of their school day, AND start a new high school ski club. This spring, Memorial Middle School is piloting two sections of a leadership class designed and taught by instructors at the Kieve Leadership School, using equipment collected and purchased by our club. Participants use nearly every bike and ski we have on our Tuesday/Thursday outings. And as the leadership and members of the Building Committee plan a new consolidated building with outdoor education in mind, we could be adding kayaking and climbing to an even larger group of middle schoolers in the not-too-distant future.
Thank you so much for your support!
-Matt Lunt, MOC Advisor
P.S. - The 2nd Annual Chili Cook-Off will be held on Thursday, January 24th from 5:30-7:00 at Memorial Middle School. Please join us, and spread the word!
Organizer
Matt Lunt
Organizer
South Portland, ME
