The Land, The Sea and Me is a biweekly after school program for students from any school in first to fourth grade devoted to exploring the incredibly diverse ecosystems and communities of Maine. Through this program, participants are encouraged to explore a variety of habitats and engage with a variety of people (from apple farmers to New Mainers) in order to develop a deep sense of place, responsibility and joy for the ecosystem they live in. The Land, The Sea and Me operates out of Roots Academy and has partnered with Maine Audubon, multiple local produce farms, Atlantic Sea Farms and Sound Seas (a marine policy organization), and intends to partner with the Intercultural Community Center of Maine, The Landing at Cape Elizabeth (an elderly care facility) and Maine Harvest for Hunger, to name a few. We aim to be ready to offer scholarships to local children for The Land, The Sea and Me to expand our outreach in the community. Starting in the 2024/25 school year, we hope to offer two full scholarships to this afterschool environmental program. In essence, at Roots we feel like we’ve got a good thing going - and we are excited for the opportunity to share it with as many people as we can. We have the knowledge, the passion and the intention of changing the world one connection at a time, now we just need the funding to do so!