Following the sound of shrieks, cheers, and laughter at Schoodic Institute in early May, you will see a familiar scene playing out in front of you. Some kids are engaging in an enthusiastic game of soccer, sprinting from one end of a basketball court to the other. On the sidelines other kids sit in small clusters chatting, while a few feet away another group is turning a bike rack into their own jungle gym. It is a normal scene at most schools, but for these kids it is not a common experience. All of these students attend one-to-two-room schoolhouses on outer, unbridged islands, with the largest school having less than 15 students and the smallest, just one student.  

he group holds two field trips each year, one in the fall and another in the spring. It also brings students and teachers together virtually for classes including one with the Mission’s Director of Island Services Douglas Cornman, and other activities. Marcella Carroll, the teacher on Isle au Haut, explains “We have book groups and make an effort to have our students come together. It is a space where we can join each other so by the time we are together in person for field trips, it is very natural.”  

This year’s spring field trip was to the Schoodic Institute, where students played, met author Alex Hinrichs (through Island Readers & Writers), practiced photojournalism, and explored the natural world with Acadia National Park Rangers. Students split up into groups based on their grades and got to spend time with students their own age, something that may not happen in their schools. One day, Pre-K and first graders did Junior Rangers activities, while students in second through fourth grades learned more about soil, and older students did an invasive crab survey.  

The three days are filled with educational activities and plenty of time for play. By watching students play together and work on projects, the social and educational support TLC offers is clear to see. Cliff Island teacher Jenny Baum, who has been an island teacher for eight years, says “Without this collaboration we would just be one-room schoolhouses out there in the middle of the ocean on our own. This gives us the opportunity to interact with other teachers and students.” The teachers meet virtually every week with Mission and Island Institute staff to collaborate but also get advice from one another, which Jenny says is her source of support and connection to people beyond her island.  

This field trip has also been a way for the teachers to get together as well, and they spend the breaks between activities chatting on the sidelines with each other and parents as they watch kids play. It looks like any other day at most schools, but for everyone here, these small moments are a rare and exciting opportunity.  

Join Maine Seacoast Mission for an open house of its new building on Wednesday, June 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Mission’s Downeast campus. Located at 6 Weald Bethel Lane, community members are invited to tour the newly opened Downeast Engagement Center, see the expanded food pantry, and learn more about the Mission’s work in Washington County. 

Work on the Downeast Engagement Center started in the fall of 2023 and included a complete renovation and expansion of the building at the head of campus which now houses an administrative wing, program staging area, and food pantry. The pantry will have increased storage area with a flexible community space for healthy living programs. 

“Renovations and additions to the Cherryfield property will better support community,” President John Zavodny says, “Through our programs and people we work with, we create belonging every day. We believe that our Downeast Campus, buildings, and program areas should be just as welcoming, work just as hard, and serve just as thoughtfully.”   

The project includes installation of a new, pole-based challenge course to replace the aging course at the Ed and Connie Greaves Education (EdGE) Center. This new course will be safer, more visible, and easier to maintain. In addition, retreat cabins will be added near the Weald Bethel Community Center. These cabins allow the Mission to serve as a true day-long and overnight retreat hub for partners, housing improvement volunteers, and youth. Additional planned work includes updating the campus trail system, adding a new play area and a covered gathering area, and creating new clearly marked pedestrian paths along Weald Bethel Lane. 

The renovations and additions were generously funded through the Mission Downeast Capital Campaign, which was supported by: Connie and Buddy Bates, Roger and Judy Clapp, Joyce and Les Coleman, Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, First National Bank, Good Shepherd Food Bank, Ann and David Ingram, Machias Savings Bank, Red Empress Foundation, Cornelia Cogswell Rossi Foundation, Jasper Wyman and Son, and others.

This spring, sixth grade students in the Marion Kane Leadership program will be among the first people to use the new pole-based challenge course on the Mission’s Downeast campus. The leadership program has helped students in middle school learn leadership skills since 2012. But who exactly is Marion Kane and how did this Mission program become named for her? 

The EdGE program began in 2002, with Downeast educators and stakeholders starting to lay the groundwork for the program in the preceding years. One of the people who played a critical role during the creation and development of the program was Marion Kane.  

10 years later, the Mission came up with new ways to connect with older students who might not attend afterschool programming. This new program would build on the foundation EdGE built. The program would be a safe space where students could learn and explore. It would also be a place where students would think critically about challenging topics and work on skills like communication and trust. The skills they learned during this time would help them in their transition into middle school and into their teen years. In its beginning phase Marion passed away, and Mission leadership named the fledgling program after her to recognize her impact on  EdGE.  

The Marion Kane Leadership program has evolved over the years, but its goals remain the same. Students still spend time on the challenge course to learn trust and how to support each other. They also test their abilities, push their boundaries, celebrate their successes, and help each other reach their goals. “It is extremely rewarding to watch students build trust in themselves and in their peers. Some students come to the day with no intention of climbing on the challenge course, but throughout the day they take small steps outside their comfort zone, says EdGE Youth Development Coordinator Wren Wakeman. “The smile on their face when they achieve a goal they did not think was possible is priceless.” 

Now, more than two decades after the founding of EdGE and a decade after the founding of the Marion Kane Leadership program, Marion’s legacy is still influencing students and hopefully creating leaders who will have a lasting impact in Downeast Maine for years to come.  

The Revered Raymond “Ray” Hahn passed away at the age of 98 on April 11, 2024. Rev. Hahn was the Mission Superintendent for 11 years, during this time he strengthened the organization, grew the staff, and moved the Mission to its iconic home at La Rochelle. He served the Mission from 1972 to 1983. 

Rev. Hahn became superintendent in 1972, after the retirement of Neal Bousfield, who led the Mission for more than 30 years. Rev. Hahn saw himself as both a pastor and a teacher. As superintendent, it was written his job was “Executive Officer of the Board, Personnel Officer, Finance Officer, Liaison Officer to the various denominations and several Federal and State agencies, Information Officer, and a pastor, and minister.” He placed importance on all areas being served by the Mission, and in the 1983 Spring Bulletin  explained how each publication followed a pattern with one year being focused on the islands, the next Downeast.

During his tenure, The Bulletin often focused directly on the staff’s work by sharing his insights, bringing readers on the Sunbeam through his narration complete with nautical terminology. Rev. Hahn believed it important to share more about life on each island served by the Sunbeam and the goings on at the Downeast campus in Cherryfield (formerly referred to as Weald Bethel). The 1974 Annual Report featured a “bird’s eye view” of the Mission’s service area, sharing stops from Monhegan to Lubec, first aboard the Sunbeam, then in a car driving through Downeast coast. The Bulletin was a family affair, his wife Irene was credited as Mission Photographer and many years all the photographs were taken by her.  

One stop was La Rochelle, the Bar Harbor cottage which became the Mission’s home in 1974. Not only was La Rochelle the Mission’s administrative offices, Rev. Hahn lived in the house with his family. He oversaw the sale of the Mission’s properties on Mount Desert Island to bring work areas under one roof.  

Rev. Hahn continued to work for the Mission until 1983, when he left to lead a church in Connecticut. It is clear from his time as Superintendent that he believed wholeheartedly in the work of the Mission and wanted to make sure it would be around for years to come. He spent much of his time telling people of the Mission and sharing why the work was important. A passage he wrote in the Mission’s Diamond Jubilee publication clearly shares his thoughts, “The needs the Mission was established to meet are human needs…these needs will exist as long as human beings exist. Thus the Maine Seacoast Mission will exist too.” 

Read Rev. Hahn’s full obituary here.  

The Mission’s EdGE summer campers explore the outdoors, play sports, do arts and crafts, learn skills, and much more. Registration is now open for students in kindergarten through eighth grade in Washington county to attend week-long camps in three locations this summer. 

This year’s camp locations are:  

• D.W. Merritt Elementary School (Addison) — Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with drop-off starting at 8:45 a.m.) Monday, July 1 through Friday, August 2. This camp is for students from Addison, Beals, Columbia, Columbia Falls, Harrington, Jonesport, and Jonesboro.  
• Harrington Elementary School—Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (with drop-off starting at 8:45 a.m.) Monday, July 1 through Friday, August 2. This camp is for students from Beddington, Cherryfield, Deblois, Harrington, and Milbridge. 
• Rose M. Gaffney Elementary School (Machias)—Camp runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (with drop-off starting at 7:45 a.m.) Monday, June 17 through Friday, July 12. This camp is for students from Machias and surrounding towns.  

Parents sign up children for weeklong periods and can choose as many weeks as they want. At camp, kids will rotate through a variety of activities during the day. “We’ll have regular EdGE activities to choose from,” Isaac says. “Over the summer, campers will also go on field trips and have multiple opportunities to visit the ropes course on the Mission’s Downeast campus in Cherryfield.”  

Camps are $30.00 per student per week and scholarships are available. The camps are open to any student who was in kindergarten through eighth grade during the 2023-2024 school year who live in these towns. Students do not need to be enrolled in EdGE programming during the school year to attend. Breakfast and lunch are provided for all campers.  

Families can enroll their children online, and for help with registration, please call the Mission at (207) 546-4466.