The Teens to Trails’ Life Happens Outside Challenge kicks off with a campout at Birch Point Beach State Park in Owls Head, above. Photo courtesy of Teens to Trails

The Teens to Trails’ Life Happens Outside Challenge is urging Maine students to trade the indoors for the outdoors during a weeklong outing beginning May 9.

The challenge encourages schools to track how many minutes students spend outside during that time, with a prize of $1,000 for the top three middle schools.

The event, open to middle schools, has 25 schools participating this year, including Oxford Hills Middle School in Paris and The Eddy Middle School in Newry.

Alicia Heyburn, Teens to Trails’ executive director, said the idea behind the challenge is simple: to help students contemplate how they spend their free time and learn through experience the benefits of time outdoors.

Students from around the state gather around the campfire during the Teens to Trails’ 2024 Life Happens Outside Challenge. Photo courtesy of Teens to Trails

“We’re just trying to shift some habits,” she said, referring to how kids often default to staying inside, opting for screens instead of outdoor play after school. The challenge offers a fun way for kids and teachers to become more intentional about getting outside and enjoying fresh air, sunshine, and social time with peers, she said.

This year’s challenge features a middle school camping weekend kickoff at Birch Point State Park in Owls Head. The outing, in partnership with Maine state parks, brings dozens of students and teachers together for two nights in the park. These students, including those from schools without active outdoor clubs, will get to know each other around the classic camping scene with hopes of building community among rural students and advisers from the start, Heyburn said.

Teens to Trails was created in 2006 and was born out of the personal experience of its founders, Carol and Bob Leone, who worked in the outdoor sector in the Washington, D.C. area. The couple moved to Maine seeking a place to raise their children in an environment where being outdoors was a common way of life.

Their 15-year-old daughter Sara was killed in a car accident in 2005, and out of the tragedy, they were inspired to establish Teens to Trails in her memory. The organization’s mission is to create life-changing outdoor experiences for youth through school-based outdoor clubs.

Teens to Trails originally served high schools, but expanded to include middle schools to reach students at a younger age. The organization helps schools develop outdoor clubs by providing grants, gear and trips as well as training to teachers toward certifications to help them lead outdoor clubs. Teacher support includes specialized training for a certification similar to the Maine Guide license in addition to first aid, canoeing and other outdoor skills, Heyburn said.

Students gaze at Aurora Borealis during the Teens to Trails’ 2024 Life Happens Outside Challenge. The challenge begins with the Middle School Campout at Birch Point Beach State Park in Owls Head. Photo courtesy of Teens to Trails

Outdoor clubs offer students a chance outside of organized sports to build friendships, try new activities and gain confidence outside. The Life Happens Outside Challenge extends the organization’s mission to even more students and schools, providing an opportunity for students at participating schools to experience the outdoors as a group.

And while the challenge centers around students, all members of the school community are being encouraged to take part including teachers and staff.

During the challenge, each participating school tracks their total outdoor minutes, with the winning schools receiving cash prizes. For many schools, the funding will go toward investing in outdoor recreational equipment, field trips or outdoor classrooms.

“Through our survey work, we found that about 70% of schools don’t have budgeted funds for outdoor recreation,” Heyburn said. “So $1,000 is a great way to help schools reinvest in outdoor play.”

At the end of the week, students will reflect on their outdoor time, answering a simple question: What do you do differently and how do you feel?. Some of the answers from previous years have been poignant, Heyburn said, including one from a sixth grader in Bucksport: “When I spend time outside, I feel better on the inside.”

When students come back with this kind of insight, Heyburn said it’s a reminder of the impact outdoor activities can have on mental health and well-being.

While the Life Happens Outside Challenge is a competition, the real goal is for students to discover the joy of spending time outside, as well as the lasting benefits it can have for their mood, health, and sense of community.

Students collect wood during the Teens to Trails’ 2024 Life Happens Outside Challenge. The challenge begins with the campout for middle school students at Birch Point Beach State Park in Owls Head. Photo courtesy of Teens to Trails

“We just want kids to experience how good it feels to be outside,” Heyburn said. “We believe that if they feel better, they’ll keep going back for more.”

So far, schools that have signed up for the challenge include: Washburn District Elementary School, Presque Isle Middle School, Falmouth Middle School, Greely Middle School in Cumberland, Westbrook Middle School, Cape Elizabeth Middle School, Brunswick Junior High School, Sacopee Valley Middle School in Hiram, Bucksport Middle School, Hermon Middle School, Gardiner Regional Middle School, Cony Middle and High School in Augusta, Messalonskee Middle School in Oakland, The Ecology Learning Center Bridge Program in Unity, St. George Municipal School in Tenants Harbor, Wiscasset Middle School, Boothbay Region Elementary School, Oxford Hills Middle School in Paris, The Eddy Middle School in Newry, Ridge View Middle School in Dexter, Veazie Community School, Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast, Sipayik Elementary School in Perry, Edmunds Consolidated School in Dennysville and Saco Middle School.

Schools can still sign up for the challenge up to the day before it begins at: teenstotrails.org/life-happens-outside-challenge.