MAINE’S FIRST SHIP RECEIVES GRANT TO FUND RSU 1 COLLABORATION
Bath, ME — Maine’s First Ship has received a $4,180 grant from the Belvedere Traditional
Handcraft fund of the Maine Community Foundation to bring the experience of traditional skills
to a group of RSU 1 4th and 5th grade students in a collaboration called “Hands On Our
History.” The program will be a blend of traditional handcrafts, scientific discovery, and practical self-care knowledge. Crafts and knowledge shared will be like those experiences in the Popham Colony in 1607-08.
“This grant will help provide tools and materials for education in the fiber arts and in natural
materials shelter construction which will happen over 2 days this school year with our talented
volunteers and partners,” said Kirstie Truluck, the nonprofit’s director. “We are excited for our
RSU 1 students to experience this hands-on, authentic mode of learning through skilled,
experienced people within our community,” said Assistant Superintendent Katie Joseph.
This special opportunity of passing down important history and hand trades from one generation to the next will be something these 4th and 5th graders will remember well past this year and be excited to share with others.
The educational nonprofit Maine’s First Ship was founded in 1997 with a mission to use our
reconstruction of the 1607 pinnace Virginia to immerse the public in an exploration of the
regions early history, craftsmanship, and relationships, and their impact on our community and
environment today.
For more information, visit www.mfship.org. Headquartered in Ellsworth, with additional personnel in Portland, Dover-Foxcroft, Rockport, and Mars Hill, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to provide strong investments, personalized service, local expertise, and strategic giving to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. To learn more about the foundation, visit
www.mainecf.org.