Forging New Paths to Learning

Herring Gut Learning Center offers a diverse selection of academic programs, ranging from one-day enrichment projects to full-credit high school biology courses. Public schools from throughout Midcoast Maine take advantage of our unique programming, working closely with our staff to customize coursework that meets the specific needs of their students. Academic flexibility is a key component of the Herring Gut approach, allowing the center to meet the challenges facing today's schools. From inspiring reluctant readers to overcoming budgeting challenges, Herring Gut prides itself in its ability to think outside the box in order to make learning happen.

R.S.U. #13 Alternative Middle School
Opportunities in the Oyster Hatchery

Students in grades 5-8 attend Herring Gut three days a week to learn science, math, language arts and business skills by operating their own oyster hatchery, raising seed oysters to sell to local growers. Their company is known as Teel Cove Student Shellfish Co-op and here's what they have to say about themselves:

"We are a student-run company. We raise oysters from spawn to seed. After they are about the size of a pinky nail we sell them. Last year we broke our record of $1,100 in sales and got $1,800. This year our goal is $2,200. We are stationed in St. George, Maine. We have 5 Thomaston students and 3 students from St. George. We are an Alternative Education class."

Demand for their product is at an all time high! To follow their progress, request to be a member by Clicking Here.


Rivers Alternative Middle School, M.S.A.D. 40
Life science in the field and in the lab

In the words of: Gabe Schuft, Teacher at the Rivers Alternative Middle School

As our students record the final data on their genetics projects, clean and scrub their tanks, or test and record the Nitrite Nitrogen levels of their water, we are reminded once again of what an incredibly beneficial relationship we have with the Herring Gut Learning Center. Herring Gut has much to offer students of all ages and abilities and their facility and educational approach fits nicely with our school philosophy.

We have a diverse group of learners in our program, but the one thing they all have in common is that they have not been successful in the regular classroom setting. Reconnecting these students with their learning involves building confidence, strengthening self-image, building trust and holding them accountable for successes as well as failures. Herring Gut Learning Center helps us achieve these goals by presenting science topics in a relevant and accessible way. Learning by doing at HGLC involves a balance between classroom time using pencils, notebooks and quizzes with work time in the hatchery using filters, scrubbers and smelly-hands.

In addition to the work they are doing at HGLC, the frequency of which they are doing it helps them feel more connected to their learning. We attend HGLC for two hours each week for the entire school year. Because of this consistency it is more than just a field trip to our students. They are responsible for the cleanliness and health of the plants and aquatic creatures in the hatchery and greenhouse. They observe changes, problem solve and eventually take great pride in the work they are doing. You could talk all day about the educational value, but what really matters is what the students think. One of our 7th grade students, Dominic, wrote this about HGLC:

"The Herring Gut Learning Center is a place where we go every Thursday after lunch and learn about fish, cells, cell reproduction, genetics and some other things. Everyone in my school gets either their own tank or shares a tank of fish to take care of. We have to feed them, clean the tanks, and test the water. Herring Gut is really fun and exciting, but it also teaches you things about science that you never would have thought possible."

Besides the fact that they find it fun, what better way to teach students about environmental preservation and economic development in their community than to use their interests in animals and the outdoors? We have found our 6-year relationship with Herring Gut Learning Center to be a great success for our program, our students and our community and we look forward to many more.

To learn more about the Rivers program and see photos of their Herring Gut experience, Click Here.


Georges Valley High School Alternative Biology
Haulin' periwinkles and priming pumps

A capacity crowd from GVHS began their semester-long biology experience with a highly successful field program in which they became periwinkle harvesters, learning concepts in classification, anatomy and ecology as they gained an appreciation for the challenges faced by commercial harvesters and regulators in the Gulf of Maine. From cell dissections to microscope safaris, they continue to build on their knowledge of the life sciences, applying that knowledge to ongoing projects involving both fish and plants an the Herring Gut facility. They are currently in the midst of a long-term lobster grow-out study that will finish in December.

The Janus Project

Herring Gut Learning Center is pleased to welcome The Janus Project into the fold this year, connecting Janus students to high school science and math concepts through the new Marine Science and Sustainable Fisheries curriculum. The program's dedicated and enthusiastic students have enjoyed some exciting experiences in the lab and the field on their weekly visits to Herring Gut.

Zenith Alternative High School, Camden

Herring Gut Learning Center is looking forward to working with students from the Zenith program in the coming months following last year's successful Aquaponics Educators Project. Through lab activities, research projects and classroom instruction, high school sophomores, juniors and seniors became experts in the use of aquaponics as an instructional tool. By developing lessons, assembling classroom-scale systems and mastering the art and craft of aquaponics, Zenith students gained the expertise necessary to become aquaponics educators, and took their show on the road as they set up systems and demonstrated lessons in elementary and middle school classrooms across the Mid-coast.

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