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Each day of Jordan-Small School's week-long Summer Institute provided a new adventure. And while the students (12 sixth and seventh graders) would have preferred an entirely "hands-on" program, they learned a great deal from the lectures, too.

Mornings they heard from experts in various fields, afternoons were spent on location practicing what they had learned. Stream Day, for example, started with a morning "stream habitat" lecture that included a discussion of insect larvae, how they develop into dragonflies, dobsonflies and mayflies, and their role in the habitat; then, at Nubble Brook, armed with proper equipment, they collected samples and observed larvae and adults in their natural habitat.

"I had no idea of some of the things I learned. I never thought of those things when I walked along a stream. There's a whole world in there that is fascinating, and one little thing can upset that whole world." A quote not from a student but a teacher, Debbie Blanchard, a program organizer.

On Lake Day, a morning lecture on water quality at Frye Island was followed by a boat ride on Sebago Lake where, again supplied with proper instruments, the students applied what they had learned, testing water samples for pollution and checking water clarity.

And so the pattern went on Watershed Day, Fishin' Day, Aquifer and River Day, and Wetlands and Estuary Day.

"I'm amazed at how much I have learned because I didn't realize how important our waterways are, and how extensive they are in Raymond. Every time we do something new, I learn something new." Again, a quote from a teacher/organizer, Jill Izzo, who added, "And I think that's important, because the kids need to have you interested and excited and spontaneous about the activities because if you're not, they're not either."

Students learned from teachers, guest lecturers, and each other. Josh Geib and David Lawler, who are going into the seventh and sixth grades respectively, already had some first-hand waterway knowledge. They are both fly-fishermen and Josh ties his own flies. Josh would like to be a fly-fishing instructor at L.L. Bean, or "work as a Maine guide or a biologist like the guys at the hatchery." Brandon Pullen, on the other hand, had never been fishing before, but fly-fishing instructor, Mark Robie of New Sugarloaf Outdoor Center, was impressed with how quickly Brandon took to fly-casting. Later, leafing through a fly-fishing book together, Brandon and his buddy Kevin DeSorbo picked up some fishing tips from Josh.

Even though Josh Geib was one of the more "waterways" knowledgeable and experienced students, it was he, while testing while testing Sebago Lake's water, who said, 'I didn't realize how much we (people) affect our waterways here in Raymond." And Jill Izzo said she thinks they all got the "waterway vulnerability" message. Debbie Blanchard agreed, "What we were hoping, and what we've seen is that they've become completely immersed in the waterways of Raymond. By actually being in it, touching it, feeling it, canoeing in it, fishing in it, they're getting the message."

The students, the teachers say, were enthusiastic because the program was so hands-on, and they expressed their interest with; "Can we stay longer?" "Can't we do this all summer?" and "Can I do this again next year?"

While they learned, they had fun too. The canoe trip on Tenney River erupted into a few good-natured, teacher-soaking, water battles. Charlie Mann, volunteer coordinator for Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, a 35 year veteran fly-tyer (who, amazingly, does not fly-fish) gave the kids a fly-tying demonstration, including tying four replicas of a fly he had previously presented to Governor King.

All participants learned something about Raymond's waterways, and the teachers gained some insights into teaching. Jill Izzo said, "I'm reinforcing my own beliefs how important it is for children to have hands-on learning experiences. Learning has to be something that is relevant to their lives and you can't always do that through a textbook. It has to be through the experience of doing it, seeing it, feeling it, tasting it." And Debbie Blanchard said, "For me it opened up whole new avenues and directions I can go with the kids. How water is connected to their everyday lives and how they can think about it for the future, because they're the caretakers of these waterways for the future."

While the week-long experience was educational and fun, it was also physically and mentally exhausting. Izzo said, "Even though they were a great group of kids to work with, just keeping track of them was a problem. How do we keep track of kids who are at the top of Rattlesnake Mountain ten minutes before we are?"

The Summer Institute is scheduled to be repeated the next two summers. Izzo said she would get involved with the program to some extent. "It is so much work," she says, "but the groundwork has been laid. There are some things that need to be changed. Everything seemed to take longer than planned because the kids usually wanted to spend more time on the hands-on things, so staying on schedule was difficult. Fly-fishing day was great, but I'd like to see more people and more equipment for the size of the group. Sometimes there was too much talk and not enough hands-on."

The students would agree with "too much talk and not enough hands-on," even though at the final day's end, they too were pleasantly exhausted.