“There is no bad weather. There are only bad clothes.” That famous Norwegian saying has a particular poignancy right now. In a state where there is plenty of “bad weather,” getting outside and being comfortable has always required proper outerwear. But now, as more people than ever try to move their gathering spaces outside due to the pandemic, there is an increasing awareness that not everyone has “good clothes.” Among those trying to get outside more are teachers and their students. The idea of teaching students outside is certainly not new, but the rapid expansion of this idea certainly is.

Two elementary school teachers in Brunswick jumped on the opportunity to get kids properly clothed for the outdoors even before the pandemic hit. Kindergarten teacher Kim Jordan and Grades 1-2 teacher Jeanne Stinson realized that one simple piece of gear could go a long way to help get kids outside in any weather: rain pants. They have been taking their students outside on the trails behind Coffin Elementary on a regular basis for several years to explore nature, build fairy houses, and track wild creatures. “We have found these times in the woods with children to be magical for them and us; they are some of the favorite ‘academic’ experiences of the year,” say Jordan and Stinson. But, they often find themselves stuck inside when wet weather has struck because their students don’t have the proper gear. While most have their own rain jackets and boots, rain pants are a critical item that many students lack.

Seeking to get their students out for “at least a few bad weather outdoor experiences each year,” as Jordan and Stinson put it, they applied for a grant from the Brunswick Community Education Foundation (BCEF). The grant, entitled, “Kids Won’t Melt: Let’s Go Outside in the Rain!” would pay for a full set of waterproof bibs, enough to outfit an entire class. These aren’t just any rain pants either; they’re tough Grundens bibs, the kind Maine fishermen wear in foul weather. Rather than being stuck in bad weather, these teachers decided, “A more powerful message is ‘we can do this! We are Mainers and we embrace our weather!’”

They applied for the grant in January and were notified in February that they had received full funding. But, then the pandemic hit. March is usually the kick-off month for the annual BCEF grants, beginning with a gathering and celebration of the teachers who received grants. This year that included 20 projects totaling over $35,000 in funding across all five schools in the district. “Every year it is exciting and inspiring to see the creative grant proposals submitted by our teachers, and our 2020 grant cycle was no exception,” said BCEF Board President Becky Wilkoff. However, health concerns not only cancelled plans for the March gathering, but also changed a lot of plans the teachers had for their projects. Many had to be postponed or reshaped due to distance learning in the spring and an unknown fall. This included Jordan and Stinson’s grant.

Part of the impetus for applying for the grant for rain gear was to prepare not only for bad weather, but also for new opportunities at the new Kate Furbish Elementary School slated to open this fall. The new school was designed with multiple outdoor play spaces as well as access to nearby trails, which Jordan and Stinson were eager to experience with their students. As a part of the hybrid-learning plan this fall, however, both teachers took on roles as entirely remote educators. They realized that, though they would not be taking students out themselves, they could make the gear accessible to other teachers. They are currently working on a checkout system so that these teachers can take advantage of the new gear to get their students outside. They’re still waiting for the completion of the outdoor playground, which has had delays due to the pandemic; and also the opening of trails behind the school that are being worked on in coordination with the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust (BTLT) and the Cathance River Education Alliance (CREA), two organizations that have focused on place-based outdoor education for students. In the meantime, “the teachers are still getting their students outside very creatively,” says Jordan.

The rain pants will be arriving just as the weather cools and we head into the stormier, wetter part of the year, so it will be the perfect time to test them out. Jordan and Stinson have spearheaded this project and started getting outside with their own students despite gear challenges and limited outdoor spaces at the old Coffin Elementary School, but they look forward to seeing outdoor learning opportunities expand by getting more teachers involved and taking advantage of the new spaces at Kate Furbish. As they put it, “Our dream is that even more classrooms will begin making regular use of the outdoors as a learning environment and this grant brings down one barrier to the achievement of that goal.”

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