Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT IS TREKKERS’ MISSION?

Trekkers is a non-profit, outdoor-based mentoring program aimed at connecting caring adults with young people through expeditionary learning, community service and adventure-based education. With community adult volunteers working throughout the year, Trekkers provides myriad educational, experiential, and cross-cultural opportunities for young people, with an emphasis on relationship building and an appreciation of the earth as "educator."

WHAT IS TREKKERS’ GOAL?

Trekkers' goal is to bridge the gap between young people and the community where they grow up. By surrounding them with caring adults, Trekkers seeks to be a part of students' lives from grade to grade and year to year.  Trekkers follows students as they "graduate" from one Trekkers program into the next along a six-year journey that starts when they enter 7th grade and continues until they graduate.

WHEN WAS TREKKERS STARTED AND WHO DOES IT SERVE?

Trekkers began in 1994 as a volunteer community initiative for students attending RSU #13's Thomaston Grammar School.  In 1996, students from St. George School were included.  During the first five years, Trekkers primarily worked with 7th and 8th grade students.  With the expansion of a year-round program implemented in 1999, Trekkers began offering programs to 7th to 12th grade students living in Thomaston, Cushing and St. George.  In the spring of 2011, Trekkers also began enrolling 7th grade students from Rockland, South Thomaston and Owls Head into its core program.  Trekkers currently serves students from all six RSU #13 communities.  

HOW MANY STUDENTS DOES TREKKERS SERVE?

Trekkers serves over 160 students annually.     

WHAT KINDS OF PROGRAMS DOES TREKKERS OFFER?

Please visit Programs to learn more about Trekkers' specific programs and expeditions.

HOW MANY EXPEDITIONS DOES TREKKERS PROVIDE IN ONE YEAR?

In a normal program year, Trekkers offers 15 different expeditions.

WHO ARE BESSIE, DAISY AND LUCY?

At the heart of every Trekkers expedition are our beloved buses, "Bessie," "Daisy" and "Lucy."  They serve as our classrooms, our mascots and our passports to new horizons. Without them, we literally would be going nowhere. 

WHO FUNDS TREKKERS?

Trekkers is supported financially through contributions from individuals, local businesses and churches, private foundations, and corporations.  All Trekkers programs require assistance from students and their families in fundraising activities, as well as providing student fees.

WHO RUNS THE TREKKERS ORGANIZATION?

Volunteers
Approximately one-hundred adult and student leaders from in and around the communities of St. George, Cushing, Thomaston, Rockland, South Thomaston and Owls Head volunteer with Trekkers throughout the year.  They help facilitate outdoor and educational experiences, spend time one on one with students and provide much needed technical support to the program.  The success of the Trekkers program is dependent in part upon a very high adult-to-youth ratio in all the programs Trekkers offers.  Caring adult and peer mentors are essential to our efforts in bringing forth positive change within the lives of young people.  To learn about our volunteer opportunities, click here!

Board of Directors

John Bragg, President

Ken Oelberger, Treasurer

Lilli Martin, Secretary

Bethany Yovino

Tom Forti

Jan Letourneau

Jack Carpenter

Joe Higdon

Sam Hastings-Black

Nancy McLeod Carter

Stu Rich

Raegan Goulet - student

Luke Rector - student

Frank Magrogan

Tom Armitage

                                                                                       
Administrative Staff
Don Carpenter – Executive Director, is a resident of Tenants Harbor and has his Masters in Environmental Education from Lesley College and The Audubon Expedition Institute.

Meredith Lynt - Program Manager, is a resident of Thomaston and is currently pursuing a masters in Adventure Education from Prescott College.  Meredith was a former Trekkers AmeriCorps volunteer as well as an expedition leader over the past six years. Before working for Trekkers, Meredith worked Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay.

Emily Carver - Program Manager, is Trekkers' newest Program manager. She has a bachelors degree in International Relations from Beloit College and plans on working toward a masters degree in Counseling. Emily was the AmeriCorps volunteer for Trekkers during 2009-2010 and is so happy to be back working in such an amazing organization.

Jean Faustini - Development Coordinator, holds an interdisciplinary Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry/Mathematics from the University of Maine at Farmington and a Leadership M.B.A. from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Her professional experience includes more than twenty years in Quality Management for a former Fortune 100 company, with responsibility for intellectual property and regulatory compliance. She lives in St. George, ME.

Elisabeth Lohmueller - Program Coordinator, is Trekkers' current AmeriCorps volunteer.  Elisabeth has a B.A. in English from Wheaton College in Norton, MA.  She previously was a field instructor for a wilderness therapy program for teens.   

Alaina Ennamorati - Program Coordinator, is also a Trekkers AmeriCorps volunteer. Alaina grew up locally in Waldoboro and has a B.A. in Journalism from Northeastern University. She also recently completed a graduate degree in Intercultural Service, Leadership, and Management at SIT Graduate Institute in Brattleboro, VT.

HOW DO I MAKE A DONATION?

There are three simple ways to make a tax-deductible donation to Trekkers:

• Online via Paypal (see our homepage)

• Online via Razoo (see our homepage)

• Send a check made out to Trekkers to P.O. Box 455, Tenants Harbor ME 04860

WHAT IS THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE TREKKERS PROGRAM?

Every year, Trekkers has 40 openings for 7th graders in the RSU #13 district.  The 40 selected students will be divided into 2 Trekkers classes of 20 students each.  All seventh graders are invited to attend an informational student/parent or guardian meeting at the beginning of each new year.  If after learning about the Trekkers program a student is interested in participating, he or she will be required to submit an application by a certain date to become eligible.   

WHAT IF YOU HAVE MORE STUDENTS THEN YOU HAVE SPOTS FOR?

If after receiving all the applications there are more students interested than can participate, Trekkers will implement a lottery system to select the students. In setting up the process for the lottery selection, Trekkers will first seek a gender balance of students from Thomaston Grammar, St. George School and Rockland District Middle School and then if possible, a school balance. The content of a student’s application will not determine his or her eligibility.

WHAT IF MY NAME IS NOT SELECTED FROM THE LOTTERY?

If a lottery system for the selection of students is required, those students not selected will be put on a waiting list.

WHAT IF YOU RECEIVE MY APPLICATION AFTER THE DEADLINE?

If a student gets the application in after the deadline (all applications will need to be postmarked by the posted cut-off date), he or she will not be eligible for the lottery but will be put on the waiting list.

WHAT IF A STUDENT CANNOT MAKE THE INFORMATIONAL MEETING?

If a student cannot make the informational meeting, he or she may call and request an application.

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE BEEN SELECTED?

All students will be notified by mail shortly after the deadline about the outcome of the selection process.

IS THERE A FEE REQUIRED TO BE A TREKKER?

There is no student membership fee required to be involved with Trekkers.  However, there is a student fee associated with the cost of each program that we offer.  Due to the availability of our scholarship assistance for eligible students, no student is ever turned away due to financial reasons.

HOW DO I APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP ASSISTANCE FOR AN EXPEDITION?

Please visit our Applications page to download and print a copy of the Scholarship Assistance Application. Once Trekkers has received your application, we will notify you of the amount awarded if you meet eligibility requirements.

WHAT IS TREKKERS DISCRIMINATION POLICY?

Trekkers, Inc. does not discriminate based on familial status, race, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, or religion. However, Trekkers seeks a gender balance when planning its educational programs. Some gender specific activities may be offered from time to time based on benefits to the community and/or when deemed beneficial and/or necessary by the Executive Director or Board Members.

ARE STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN THE 7th GRADE PROGRAM ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN FUTURE TREKKERS PROGRAMS?

Eligible students who complete the Teen Trekkers program in 7th grade will be invited to participate in every program offered to their Trekkers class for their remaining years in middle school and high school as long as they are enrolled in school or are being homeschooled.  If after offering the next program to Trekker students there are more than four slots available, Trekkers will refer to the students who are on the waiting list for that particular grade.  If after offering it to all the students on the waiting list there are still slots available, Trekkers will open it up to non-Trekkers on a first-come-first-serve basis. 

Please note:  Excluding the 7th grade program, the waiting list will only be activated if the number of participants for a particular program drops below 17 students or a student from the original 20 taken in 7th grade moves out of the three towns Trekkers serves.  Once the number of participants drops below 17, Trekkers will invite the next male or female from the waiting list from that particular school and group. If a student moves out of the three towns served by Trekkers, they forfeit their spot in Trekkers and the next male or female from the waiting list from that particular school will be invited in a timely fashion.  In addition, the waiting list will only be activated if the Executive Director determines there’s enough time left in the planning process before the expedition takes place. 

WHAT IF I WANT TO BE A TREKKER AND I’M OLDER THAN 7TH GRADE?

If you are interested in joining Trekkers after your 7th grade year, you can submit a Waiting List application.  Please call the Trekkers' office: 594-5095 to request an application.  Once we have received your application, you will be placed on the waiting list in the order that it was received.  The waiting list will only be activated for a particular program if the number of enrolled participants for the program drops below 17 students. 

HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED?

Trekkers has a variety of volunteer opportunities available for both adults and students alike. To learn more, please visit our Volunteer page.

WHERE CAN I FIND APPLICATIONS & FORMS?

Please visit our Applications page to download volunteer and student applications, waivers, etc.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE DAILY LOGS FROM PAST EXPEDITIONS?

You can find links to past expeditions by visiting our Trip Archives.

WHERE CAN I FIND THE DATES FOR UPCOMING EXPEDITIONS?

Check out the Expedition Schedule for the latest expedition dates.

WHAT DO PEOPLE SAY ABOUT TREKKERS?

Please visit our Testimonials to read what students, parents, volunteers and other community members think about Trekkers.

HOW DO I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT TREKKERS?

If you have any questions or want to learn more, please visit our Contact Us page to send us an email.