Our history.
Maine’s public schools have long faced financial constraints. Ten years ago, when local school boards made a plan to balance their budgets by cutting student art classes, we knew children would pay the price.
Driven by a passion for teaching and curriculum design, we proposed a program, which would interweave a series of art and science experiences into existing classroom curricula. Teachers would be full collaborators with local artists as mentors to underserved students.
That fall 5 midcoast Maine artists put their heads together. We planned a 4-week program with multiple mediums with a primary goal of teaching children to become deep thinkers. We imagined classrooms as light-filled studios. We envisioned morning classes as 2-hour time blocks when kids could experiment with materials and generate big ideas. Maine’s RSU 13 made our first program financially feasible. Their contribution continues more than 10 years later.
Since 2014, Leaps of Imagination has reached over 1500 children. We have forged lasting relationships with more than 50 teachers, principals, superintendents, and naturalists. We are proud to be receiving funding from Maine Arts Commission, Maine Community Foundation, Nellie Lehman Taft Foundation, Onion Foundation, Partners in Island Education, Daniel Dietrich ll Foundation, and public schools.
A note from our Director
At Leaps of Imagination we imagine a better future. A future that starts with our children right now. We believe that kids are curious and competent. They are natural connectors, poised to notice detail and see patterns.
Each of our programs links children to issues in today’s world. To the wonders of nature and being outside. To big ideas like preserving our environment and valuing diverse perspectives. Kids realize that their ideas matter, and they are ready to speak up and act on them.
We give children time to explore the natural world. Whether experiencing Wheeler Bay Wildlife Sanctuary or nature on school grounds, they investigate and keep a record of their findings in journals. Empowered to cross subject matter boundaries, children experiment with materials while mastering new skills.
Uninterrupted time is a precious commodity in schools today. Working through each challenge without feeling pressure, kids learn to get past stumbling blocks and realize positive outcomes. Having witnessed beauty in the wilds of nature, they are ready to preserve it. They see the meaning of connectivity in the universe. And they understand that their determination can lead to positive change.
Leaps of Imagination partners with public schools, Wheeler Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, and Sundog Outdoor Expeditions. Learning with and from one another, we see a healthy and promising future for our children.
—Nancy Harris Frohlich, Executive Director
One Leaps’ learner told us “Using your imagination is a way of exploring yourself, your mind, and your brain.”
