 Ripple Effect is well known for its summer programs on Cow Island and Casco Bay. However, as Executive Director Anna Klein-Christy tells Lovely McVane, this year they are starting a new series of winter events. Well, Anna, welcome again. Thank you, Leslie. We love hearing about Ripple Effect. It's like the ocean. It just keeps on moving and changing, and Ripple Effect is always doing that, adding new things all the time. And you've just added some more programming. We have. We haven't. Thank you very much for inviting me to come in and talk about it. I have to say our partnership with CTN-5 has really been wonderful for us, so thank you so much. Well, we like the work you do. So, you know, of course, Ripple Effect started out as summer programming, kayaking off of Cow Island and Casco Bay. And now we have expanded into some wonderful winter opportunities for kids, and we actually based those in the schools. This week we had three graduations, and they are a wonderful opportunity for parents and kids to come together with the guides as just a real community experience. These are seventh graders. And, you know, seventh graders sometimes have a reputation. Yes, they do. They're not being the ideal guest. And in fact, seventh graders can do anything. And if you give them an opportunity in a safe place, they are wonderful people, and they're growing into wonderful adults. In fact, that's what they're looking for. Something to do, an outlet for their creative energy. Absolutely. Absolutely. And tell me about these graduations. I didn't realize that Ripple Effect had graduations. Well, it is a wonderful thing to come and watch, because the guides have come to know the kids so well that they're able to talk about the ways in which the kids have become leaders. And of course, they're telling the stories in front of the parents, and so it just is a wonderful opportunity. And, I mean, frankly, kids are growing year-round, so it's up to us, I think, at Ripple Effect to grow with them. Now, I know that last winter, you did winter camping with the kids. That is right. But this is a little different, this in-school program. What sort of things are you doing within the schools? We work with them on leadership tools in the school environment, so they're leaders within their peer groups. The kids are identified by guidance counselors and teachers, and they have to go through an application process. So it is a really select group of kids, and they're able to spend seven weeks together after school, and then they go on these expeditions, which are so exciting for the kids. So it happens right after the school day ends within the schools, so they don't have to leave anywhere. It can be right there at King Middle School, or a memorial. And then once they go through this, they have an excursion. And where do they go on these expeditions? They will go to the White Mountains, or Bradbury, or in the spring and the fall they go out to Cow Island. So we had a group of kids there at Thanksgiving, and of course it was chilly and so wonderful for them, because they felt so tough. They were able to tell lots of stories to their parents. Wonderful. Now, in order to be nominated as a candidate for this program, it goes through the principal, the teachers, is there a peer group that looks at this in ways in as well? No, the kids really have to own it. And I think that's an exciting part. The kids are, because they are participating on such an intensive basis, they tend not to be involved in a lot of extracurricular activities, and they may face barriers at home economically or socially, and challenges in that way. And so this is a way for them to really grow leadership skills in a really special and unique environment safely. And once they graduate from the program, how do they go about using what they've learned as leaders within the school system? Well, actually that's one of the exciting parts of the program, is that it's not just within the school system, where they do community service projects. For example, they were working on a garden just a couple of weeks ago, but they also work out in the community. We love to work with Preble Street Resource Center, for example, on Main Island trails, and really explore their connection into the community. So there's a transfer of skills, not just in this small protected environment, but they're able to take that home with them. Well, it sounds wonderful, and we've got to wrap this. To find out more, they can go to? To our website. And I'm assuming that you'll put that at the bottom of the screen for me. Yes, we will. Or they can call you. Or they can just call our office, which is 207-791-7870. Well, thank you. Leslie, thank you so much.