Kittery Point apprentice lobster man and sixth grade Berwick Academy student Mark Hoyt gives students from Louisville, KY a lesson on the business of lobstering.
Underprivileged Louisville Students Experience a New England Adventure
What started out as a pen pal program between Berwick Academy Upper School students and a group of underprivileged middle schoolers from Louisville, KY back in 2007, has since blossomed into an extraordinary exchange program between the two schools. Thirteen sixth grade students arrived in Maine this past Saturday with their teacher, Berwick alum, Rachel Davis. The students traveled from Louisville to South Berwick where they are staying for a week-long adventure. Berwick Academy Upper School students and Dean of Student Life, Jen Onken, have put together an incredible agenda for the children during their stay.
Students from Louisville, KY get their first taste of fresh lobster.
Among the activities planned for their stay was a visit to Pepperell Cove Wharf in Kittery Point, ME which took place yesterday, Monday, June 15. Upper School math teacher Charlene Hoyt and her husband Scott graciously offered a tour of their lobster boat, SLOW MOCEAN, which was tied up to the wharf for the kids to explore. Their son Mark, a sixth grade student at Berwick Academy, is an apprentice-licensed lobster man with 50 traps of his own, personal ID tags and buoy color. Mark, his brother Alex, a ninth grader at Berwick Academy, and their dad Scott explained all that is involved in the lobster fishing business to the kids, most of whom have never eaten lobster. Students then headed to the Hoyt’s home with 30 fresh lobsters to cook up and enjoy. A traditional down east meal was the evening’s menu.
In addition to their lobstering adventure, Lassiter students will be surfing, kayaking, hiking, picnicking, swimming, camping throughout Maine and New Hampshire as well as visiting Boston this week. They will also spend much of their time right on campus at Berwick Academy. For many of them, this will be their first time participating in these kinds of adventures, and for most it was their very first time on a plane. Berwick Academy is pleased to be able to provide such an enriching experience for this group of students.
The student’s trip to Maine was sponsored by many Louisville based and local businesses, along with Berwick Academy.
Berwick’s involvement with Lassiter began in 2007 when Berwick alum and sixth grade Lassiter teacher Rachel Davis ‘02, reached out to Berwick to “Please please please help my kids.” Heartbreaking stories of poverty-stricken and disability-laden students prompted Upper School faculty member, Dana Clinton, to get Berwick students involved. Rachel’s initial request of a donation for her students turned into a year-long buddy program that included exchanging letters and postcards and four care packages sent from Berwick to Lassiter.
Last summer, ten Upper School students traveled to Louisville to meet their buddies for the first time. During their stay, Berwick students participated in an environmental camp with the Lassiter students. The purpose of the trip was to assist Lassiter’s students in improving their outdoor classroom, which includes a man-made pond, a compost pile, several gardens, and a greenhouse.
Berwick Academy Upper School students involved in the buddy program and the upcoming visit are Samantha Auty (Durham, NH), Mary dePascale (Eliot, ME), Win Hahn (Berwick, ME), David Horan (Kennebunk, ME), Eliza Jacobs (Shapleigh, ME), Hannah Katz-Barfield (Stratham, NH), Lathrop Kelly (Newfields, NH), Atik Khan (Seabrook, NH), Grant Kokernak (North Hampton, NH), Derek Lavigne (Saco, ME), Ashley Leonard (Stratham, NH), Mareesa Miles (Acton, ME), Kevin Murphy (Portsmouth, NH), Clara Penati (Newmarket, NH), Cristina Salvador, Mollie Stolzer (Portsmouth, NH), John Tackeff (Rye Beach, NH), Abby Thayer (Rollinsford, NH), Halley Tower (Ogunquit, ME), Kristen van Dissel (Eliot, ME), Ryan Walters (Rye, NH), Jamie Wilson, Alanna Wittet (York, ME), Ian Wright (North Berwick, ME), and Alex Zannos (Rye, NH).
The buddy program will continue next year.
Founded in 1791, Berwick Academy is an independent, coeducational country day school located in South Berwick, Maine. For over 200 years, the Academy has pursued its mission through a purposeful blend of strong academics, arts, and athletics. Berwick serves over 600 students in grades K-12 from the seacoast area of southern Maine and New Hampshire.
