About Us
In April of 2008, the Maine Conservation School merged with the Maine 4-H Foundation and University of Maine Cooperative Extension to become the University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Bryant Pond.
Our Mission: The mission of the University of Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Center at Bryant Pond is to educate and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds toward social, economic, and environmental sustainability and conservation through affordable, experiential learning. We model leadership and life skills development, community collaboration, self-reliance, wellness, and a sense of stewardship for our natural world. This mission supports the broader mission of the UMaine Extension 4-H Youth Development Program, “to help Maine people improve their lives through education that uses research-based knowledge focused on issues, needs and aspirations.”
Core Values: “Ecolibrium,” or house in balance (from the Greek “oikos” meaning house, the root of both “ecology” and “economy”). Here at Bryant Pond we envision a future in which, as a direct result of our educational programs, the people of Maine will:
- see themselves as citizens of a nation and a planet where human culture is related to the protection of natural resources, and act as stewards to sustain them;
- direct and adapt to change to improve their lives;
- make decisions about their lives and the resources at their disposal to improve health, economic well-being, and satisfaction;
- know where to find reliable information and how to use it in solving the problems they face, individually and collectively, through voluntary action;
- recognize their relationships to one another and act in ways that honor and respect all people;
- direct public policy through active participation in identifying problems, selecting among alternative solutions and setting priorities;
- understand the interrelationship of issues facing communities and the state and their individual actions.
Bryant Pond’s Guiding Principle:
“The focus of our educational program is to instill in every individual an understanding of their relationship and interdependence with our natural resources, and our local communities, and to create vested civic involvement committed to sustainable lives and conservation.”