Adventure Ready
Student Skills Trainings
The outdoors offers peace, solitude, community, challenge, and adventure. But more than anything, it offers opportunity. For many Maine students, that opportunity starts with an Outdoor Club, a family trip, or a Teens to Trails program. The next step is building the skills, confidence, and independence to keep pursuing it on their own terms.
That's what Adventure Ready is for: expert-led outdoor skills trainings where students build practical skills, earn real certifications, and gain hands-on experience in wilderness first aid, outdoor leadership, navigation, paddling, trail stewardship, climbing, and risk management. Some trainings lead to certifications that carry real weight on college applications, internships, and future jobs.
As Maine's outdoor recreation economy grows, this kind of experience gives students a head start toward careers in guiding, conservation, environmental education, tourism, and natural resource management. Whether a student wants to deepen their outdoor knowledge, prepare for seasonal work, or just become more capable outside, Adventure Ready builds skills for life.
Fall 2026 Student Trainings
Adventure Ready Student Trainings are open to students at any Maine high school. Space is limited and spots are filled first come, first served, so it's worth applying early. Application deadlines vary by training, so check the details below for specific dates.
Cost: These trainings are free for participating students.
Who it's for: Open to all experience levels.
Outdoor Climbing
Skills Training
Led by: Equinox Guiding Service
When: Saturday, October 3, 2026, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Where: Camden Hills State Park
Spots available: 12
A full day of guided rock climbing built for students who want to build technical climbing skills while getting a real look at professional climbing instruction. Students will learn the systems, decision-making, and risk management that guides use every day, and leave with more confidence and a clearer sense of what a career in outdoor recreation could look like.
Intro to Paddling and
Kayak Safety
Led by: Osprey's Echo Sea Kayaking
When: Saturday, October 3, 2026, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Where: 35 Big Pond Rd, Stonington, Maine
Spots available: 8
A mix of on-land and on-water instruction covering trip planning, reading conditions, basic navigation, outfitting, paddling technique, and safety and rescue skills.
Wilderness
First Aid
When: Date and location TBD
Where: TBD
Spend two days building practical skills and confidence to respond to injuries and emergencies in the outdoors. This 16-hour course is a two-day commitment, and participants who complete the course will leave with a Wilderness First Aid certificate. Additional details on this training are coming soon.
Spring 2027 Trainings
More trainings are on the way, including canoeing, wilderness first aid, and mountain biking.
Dates and locations are still being finalized.
