Over February vacation 19 teens from the Malden Teen Enrichment Center (MTEC) traveled on a three-day excursion to Cardigan Lodge in Alexandria, New Hampshire. Cardigan Lodge is next to the 5,000-acre Mount Cardigan State Forest and is located on a 1,200-acre reservation owned by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).
MTEC has gone on many trips in the past enjoying camping in the summer and hiking during the spring and fall. MTEC is able to provide teens the opportunity to have these experiences through their ties with the AMC which helps provide them with training and outdoor gear for use on the trips. AMC provides Outdoor Leadership Training to MTEC youth to equip them with the tools and skills necessary to lead students out in nature, including activities like snowshoe training. They then have access to the specific gear and equipment necessary for the activities. MTEC staffer Jacob Mullin-Bernstein said “This is a great partnership and gives kids an opportunity free of charge, and at a discounted rate for MTEC, to take part in activities that would otherwise be costly.”
As the trip began, MTEC Coordinator Cathy MacMullin announced that the students would be learning Malden High’s “Fight Song” during the trip. Mayor Christenson also stopped by to wish the students a successful and safe journey as they headed 100 miles North into the mountains of rural New Hampshire. The students thoroughly enjoyed their experiences which included hikes by the river, snowshoeing, sledding, playing lots of games, and sitting by the outdoor fireplace. They look forward to more outdoor experiences and collaborations with AMC.