The Wiscasset Middle School Project Reach students have been very busy this spring. While the students were working hard on their school projects and studying for tests they were also helping our school and local community with events, going on field trips, building new relationships with their peers, and making difficult philanthropic decisions through the Jumpstart Our Youth initiative. The students persevered through the challenges that they faced and are proud of all that they accomplished.

Community Service is a huge part of the curriculum. The students volunteered at the Wiscasset Middle School open house scooping ice cream for all the students, families and teachers.

The Project Reach students ran the concessions at the Variety Show and raised money for local families in need, as well as the American Cancer Association and the Mid-coast Hunger Prevention Program. Project Reach took part in the Pennies for Patients fundraiser through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and in three short weeks was able to give $475 to their cause.  

The students also collected all the school recycling and bottles every week. The 8th grade class will be given over $150 from Project Reach to go towards their class trip from recycling bottles.

This past April, the eighth graders went on their Urban Adventure, which is an overnight educational event, hosted by Unum that focuses on teambuilding, problem solving, job attainment skills and leadership skills.

The students were put into mixed school groups and went on a scavenger hunt throughout the Old Port. During this adventure, they learned how to get job applications, open a bank account, navigate their way through the Old Port, and at the end they got a tour of the Portland Police Department.

On the second day, they got interviewed by local businesses and got to write a reflection piece about their goals and the experience.

In May, the seventh graders went on their NEST (Nature Exploration for Students through Teamwork), which had a wilderness survival theme. They met Commissioner Woodcock of the Department of Inland fisheries and Wildlife and the Game Wardens from the Animal Planet TV show “North Woods Law.”

The Wiscasset students were mixed with other students from across Maine and made many friendships throughout the two days. They learned about first aid, fish identification, survival shelter building and problem-solving challenges.

Jumpstart Our Youth (JOY) is always an amazing challenge and opportunity for the students. The Unity Foundation gives all the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates programs $1,000 to donate to a local nonprofit.

The students were able to narrow it down to three organizations: The Red Cross, Wiscasset Public Library, and Feed Our Scholars. All three organizations came to our class and gave presentations and in the end, the students decided to give the money to the Feed Our Scholars program.

The money will allow four local Wiscasset students to get a backpack full of food every weekend for the entire school year.  They also volunteered at their 5K fun run and helped raised additional funds to help more local students.

On Friday, May 24, the Project Reach Students had their closing ceremony. This ceremony was a culmination of their entire school year. The highlight of the event was the giving of the Jumpstart Our Youth check of $1,000 to the Feed Our Scholars program. Many families and friends attend the ceremony and got to see a wonderful slideshow made by the 8th grade students.

The Project Reach students of Wiscasset Middle School have work incredibly hard this year and have shown to everyone that if you are determined to succeed and you have the will, you can achieve anything.