This summer Maine Maritime Museum will launch a three-week enrichment program for middle-schools students. Crosscurrents: Youth Learning & Leadership Program – open to rising seventh and eighth-graders – will run July 12-30.

Utilizing the museum’s unique resources, students will explore the cultural and environmental history of the Kennebec River. The interdisciplinary program will include unique hands-on experiences like blacksmithing, boatbuilding, sailing aboard the 1906 schooner Mary E, testing water quality in Merrymeeting Bay, and examining museum artifacts up close. Limited to just 15 participants, this immersive program is perfect for kids seeking a summer experience that is both academic and experiential. The majority of time will be spent outdoors in the museum’s historic Percy & Small Shipyard.

Crosscurrents incorporates the same learning approaches used in the successful Alternative Expeditionary Learning Semester, a three-month program for middle-schoolers held at the museum in fall 2020.

“During last fall’s program, it was so inspiring to see a new generation learning the traditional skills – blacksmithing, woodworking – that are so important to our state’s heritage. The location and resources of the museum provide an authentic experience that really can’t be replicated in a classroom. We are excited to be able to offer this opportunity to more kids this summer,” said Kurt Spiridakis, Director of Watercraft and Traditional Skills.

Crosscurrents will run Monday through Friday, July 12-30, from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m (before/after care available). Tuition for the three-week program is $1,000 per student, and thanks to generous donors, scholarships are available. Visit MaineMaritimeMuseum.org to learn more..