ORONO — Whether it’s kayaking down a river, backpacking through the forest or racing high-adventure style, military family teens with a thirst for adventure will have a greater number of options this summer thanks to an expanded federal summer camps program run by the country’s university Cooperative Extension System.

The U.S. Defense of Department, with the U.S. Agriculture Department and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, in addition to Extension offices at 11 other land-grant universities, have teamed up to offer military teens low-cost, high-adventure camps at 50 locations, including one in Alaska and two in Europe, in addition to Maine.

Military teens ages 14 to 18 can pick their adventure — from a five-day kayaking trip through Washington’s San Juan Islands to a four-day adventure racing course in the Northeast to a one-week backpacking trip through Alaska’s Denali Forest.

Jon Prichard of the Extension office in Springvale and Extension Director John Rebar in Orono say at least 272 Maine youths will benefit.

The camps will offer military youth experiences not readily available through traditional programs, according to the American Forces Press Services. Due to frequent moves, military parents and youth may be unaware of local opportunities; the camps are intended to fill that gap. Previously, youths attended camps in their respective states.

“Now it’s a national program,” Prichard says. “We will be attracting kids from around the country. The kids can go any place from Alaska to Arkansas. Hopefully, we’ll have a mix of Maine kids and kids from around the country.”

The Maine Military Adventure Camps will occur at Extension’s 4-H Camp and Learning Centers at Bryant Pond and Tanglewood/Blueberry Cove.

The Cooperative Extension website for Maine 4-H Camp and Learning Centers has additional information. This document can be found online by searching for “Maine Military Adventure grant press release.”