No-cost grant funded option for qualified Maine Families! Learn more…
Our journey begins in the protected waters of Hockomock Bay surrounding Chewonki Neck in Wiscasset Maine, where our participants spend the first few days learning expeditionary sea kayaking skills. As our skills and confidence increase, we travel up the coast toward the spruce-covered islands of Penobscot Bay. Many of the island campsites we visit today have been used by the Indigenous Wabanaki People for thousands of years and we take great care not to disturb any of the historical shell mounds that we observe during our journey.
Each night, we camp in tents at a different island along our route up the Maine coast, taking note of the local ecology as we go. Our sea kayaks can ply waters where bigger sailing or fishing boats may not venture, and we often enjoy wonderful, more intimate, interactions with sea life. After plenty of paddling, the trip ends up in the breathtaking islands of Stonington where lobster boats and sandy beaches fill the 70+ island archipelago.
Maine Families! Thanks to generous funding provided by the American Rescue Plan Act, the Maine Department of Education, and the Maine Outdoor Learning Initiative, we are able to provide this amazing two-week summer program at no cost to qualified Maine families. To learn if your family qualifies for this grant please visit this page.
Program Dates:
Length: 2 Weeks
Eligible Grades: 8th, 9th, 10th
Group Size: 8 students and 2 trip leaders
Starting Location: Wiscasset Maine
Cost: $3,920
Starting from our home base on Chewonki Neck in Wiscasset, our participants spend the first few days in “paddle school” in and around Hockomock Bay, learning expeditionary sea kayaking skills, including paddling strokes, wet exits, rescue, group travel, and weather reading. As our trip progresses, students acquire expertise in island navigation and saltwater camping, and in turn, each will take on a leadership role, planning and directing the activity of the group.
Each night, we camp in tents at a different island along our route up the Maine coast, taking note of the local ecology as we go. Our sea kayaks can ply waters where bigger sailing or fishing boats may not venture, and we often enjoy wonderful, more intimate, interactions with sea life. After plenty of paddling, the trip ends up in the breathtaking islands of Stonington where lobster boats and sandy beaches fill the 70+ island archipelago.
Are you applying for the grant-funded option for Maine Families? Please fill out this qualification form first!
It’s hard to pack all the excitement of a Chewonki experience into a short webpage, so we encourage you to reach out to our team for a phone call, or to schedule a tour in the off season.
We hope to see you at camp next summer!
Providing safe, equitable, and inclusive education programs is our purpose and mission. While we do not specialize in programming for people with disabilities, we welcome a diverse community of participants and we will seek safe, reasonable accommodations whenever possible.
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