RUMFORD — Directors of Regional School Unit 10 on June 2 approved summer camping, canoeing and biking trips for Mountain Valley High School students.

Teachers Todd Papianou and Karen Wilson are leading the trips through the summer Falcon Camp for students, now in its fourth year. Papianou is a Registered Maine Recreational Guide and Wilson is a Maine Certified Trip Leader.

“RSU 10 supports us with vehicles, indoor space, and some meals,” Wilson said. “The rest is paid for by Maine West and Friends of River Valley. We use the school’s canoes and bikes.”

She said this camp is designed for kids who are nominated by high school staff. “They do not have to pay. It’s completely free.”

Wilson told the board they are funded by Maine West and Friends of River Valley.

For the four-week high school outdoor summer program, they take primarily freshmen and sophomores and have four days the first week where they learn to canoe and mountain bike, she said. “Then we’ll also check their hiking skills.”

The second week includes a two-night camping trip Blackwoods Campground at Acadia National Park, where they will bike the Carriage Road, climb Dorr Mountain, swim at Sand Beach, and learn about camping and outdoor living skills.

“We’ve taken students to Acadia before and what’s amazing is that students can’t believe it is Maine because a lot of them don’t go to the ocean on a regular basis, so they can really believe it’s their own state,” Wilson said.

Weeks three and four include a night canoe camp on the St. Croix River on the border between Maine and New Brunswick. They will travel from Vanceboro to Loon Bay.

Wilson said the canoe camp will be for students with demonstrated canoe proficiency. They will camp three nights along the river, and learn to canoe moving water. “Last year, it was a real positive experience for the kids and we’re really excited to do this trip.”

She said Papianou has taken summer camp groups on this stretch of river before. “It is a really unique experience.”

Papianou joked, “They will be catching large-mouth bass with every cast, so I have told them.”

He said what they’ve been able to do this year with the Outing Club will extend into their summer camp activities and bring them opportunities they do through the year to keep the momentum rolling, the relationship building and the skills building.

Papianou noted, “If I didn’t attend an outdoor leadership conference through a professional day, I never would have found out that we were able to combine a grant with L.L. Bean and Appalachian Mountain Club to get up to $5,000 a year to take our club to Appalachian Mountain Club huts. They are very elite high-end huts that usually people that have money get to go to.”

He added, “I can visualize what it’s going to mean to our kids to go to a hut, be served fancy meals at 5,000 feet in a beautiful cabin and get to hike above tree line for two days.”

That trip June 13-15 includes two nights on Mount Madison, a $2,600 value, in New Hampshire.

Wilson said throughout the year, the Outing Club is sponsored by small grants for food and travel expenses. The club its own gear through donations and grant funding.

She said that for the past two years, the school budget proposal has included an Outing Club director, but each year it’s been cut from the budget.