GREENWOOD — As the ski season begins, Mt. Abram is on its fifth year of providing free passes for all students of RSU 44. This program started with Greg Luetje, and since then has become a yearly program in conjunction with two nonprofits – Friends of Mt. Abram and the Mt. Abram ski club.

Children at ski school prepare for a day on the snow. John Campbell photo

The official name of the program is the Local Student Access Program. Mt. Abram’s current owner, Vaughn Clark, expressed his appreciation of the program. “It’s something we are really really proud of at Mt. Abram.” He said.

The program gives all students in the local school district of RSU 44 access to free passes for skiing at Mt. Abram. This includes private schools and students who are homeschooled.

The only requirement is for an application to be filled out, and for a note from the students’ parents. “We are getting young people involved, showing them how incredibly great skiing is and how fun it is,” said Clark. “You should come on a Thursday afternoon or Friday afternoon in January, and just see the west side lodge at Mt. Abram. It’s incredible to see all these kids out there, having a blast on snow.”

The two nonprofits that work alongside Mt. Abram also have their own contributions for students. The Friends of Mt. Abram ski club provides a scholarship for ski gear. “Kids that live in RSU44 that live in our local school district, they live 10 minutes in either direction to world class skiing. And because skiing is such an expensive sport, it’s really out of reach for most families here in Maine,” said Clark.

“Students that don’t have the ability to get access to equipment, they can apply to that scholarship.” At Mt. Abram, Ashley Coe serves as the manager for the program, and helps kids and their parents with the applications, as well as partnering with local schools for student rosters. The forms can be done both online at the website or at the mountain itself.

Clark hopes that this program will see more young people getting out on the snow. “We are a small community mountain, and we certainly recognize, or at least, as an owner, I recognize, that if we don’t get more young people into this amazing sport, places like Mt. Abram are going to have a really hard time surviving,” he said.

“Hopefully this is something for some of these kids that get free passes that will be a passion for life.” He expressed enthusiasm towards the program, which he hopes to keep up moving forwards into the future. Clark values what the program can do for local children: “Giving kids the opportunity to get outside, to get outside and be active, it’s critically important not just for the ski industry, I think for all of our citizens here in Maine.”