TCTC board endorses Wilderness Pathways concept

Greenville could host
satellite location

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    DEXTER — The Tri-County Technical Center Regional Council informally endorsed a new program proposed by SAD 46 Director Stephanie Watson and TCTC Director Patrick O’Neill that would prepare students for jobs or secondary education in conservation law enforcement, forestry, outdoor recreation and tourism.

    O’Neill, who came to TCTC last August with more than 40 years in the education field, said that there is a “rebirth of interest” in the conservation fields.
    ”We looked at programs across the state, and there’s only one that comes close to what we’re thinking of and that’s in Skowhegan,” O’Neill told the council at their Jan. 23 quarterly meeting. “But that’s more related toward tourism.”
    O’Neill and Watson said that the Wilderness Pathways program would expand on some courses already offered at TCTC, such as criminal justice. The new curriculum would add a conservation element to the studies, thus preparing students for employment in the U.S. Border Patrol or Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “Every student going through this course would leave with at least a Maine guide’s certificate,” O’Neill said.
    The TCTC director also said that Greenville Consolidated School would be an ideal location for a satellite school. “Jackman (Forest Hills Consolidated School) is part of our territory. But because it’s so far away, we really haven’t done much with them,” O’Neill said. “But with this program, those kids could go to a satellite class in Greenville. So could students from Dover-Foxcroft and Guilford. But we’d like to start it here.”
    Watson, who has three young children, said that Maine’s major export “is not potatoes, lobster or trees, but young people between the ages of 18 and 30 … I want to keep our kids here. Tri-County does a good job at giving our kids a good secondary education. The state does a good job giving them a post-secondary education. But the goal is to keep them here afterwards.”
    Watson said that many colleges in Maine offer outdoor education programs, so Wilderness Pathways would give students a distinct advantage in preparing for the studies. “I just don’t know if there’s money out there for this,” Watson said, noting that the start-up costs and faculty salaries would have to be borne by SAD 46.
    The next step in the process is to develop a survey to see how many students would be interested in the program if it were offered. “Essentially, it would cost between $120,000 to $130,000 to start a program like this, the most expensive piece being the instructors and benefits,” O’Neill estimated. “We have a lot of material already in-house we can use.”
    O’Neill added that he has assembled a “pretty impressive potential advisory committee” of game wardens, foresters, biologists, elected officials and faculty for the potential Wilderness Pathways program.”
    Former Monson postmaster Richard Hunt, a SAD 4 director, said the concept “was an excellent idea. Just in the Monson area, you have the Appalachian Trail, mountains and lakes. I always wondered why someone hadn’t started a guide service for the tourists who wouldn’t necessarily find some of these places on their own.”
    Union 60 Superintendent Beth Lorigan said Greenville Consolidated School has recently undergone some renovations and reconfiguration, so there would be adequate space to host a satellite classroom. She also suggested that TCTC contact Plum Creek Timber Co. which has been very supportive of local educational efforts in Greenville and Jackman. “You certainly have my support. I think this is very exciting,” Lorigan said.
    SAD 46 Superintendent Kevin Jordan also said that in his view, Wilderness Pathways “is a really neat idea. I certainly believe it’s worth exploring and we’ll have a more extensive conversation at a future meeting.”
    Tentatively, the TCTC Regional Council plans to meet in mid-March at the center’s conference room in Dexter.