PRESQUE ISLE – After successfully launching an adventure-based course in the fall, officials at Northern Maine Community College are set to embark on the inaugural spring semester of the “Discover Aroostook” course next month.

Participants who enroll in the course will gather for the first class on Jan. 18 and will meet regularly through May.

Pegged as an adventure-based course geared toward introducing students to the region’s recreational and cultural opportunities, the Discover Aroostook initiative again will be offered as a three-credit elective at the college.

In concert with showing students what Aroostook has to offer, the course also was designed to address issues of student retention and out-migration by debunking the myth that there are not enough activities in the area to keep people busy.

Dawn McPherson, the lead course instructor, said that the fall session was successful and served as a learning experience for both students and faculty.

“The quality of guest speakers for the class has been phenomenal and has helped all of us realize the quality of life and the resources available in The County,” she said in a press release. “We are looking forward to an exciting new semester.”

As part of the fall course work, students were introduced to a mix of outdoor recreation activities and regional cultural opportunities. Students went canoeing, hiking and visited area landmarks and regional historical sites.

Before the field trips, students heard classroom lectures and completed assigned readings to provide a deeper understanding of their experiences.

In addition, students kept updated entries in a reflective journal and documented their experience for a final semester public presentation on the course.

Snowshoeing, skiing and ice fishing are among the planned activities for the winter term.

Students also will study and experience the Can-Am Sled Dog Races in Fort Kent.

Officials at NMCC said that the unique nature of the course, its objectives and goals have attracted support from outside the college in the form of grants through the Maine Community Foundation.

The foundation awarded NMCC nearly $15,000 through three separate funds to support the initiative.

Support from the MCF both for the course and to assist with related transportation expenses was awarded through the Gauvin Family Lighthouse Fund, the Saxifrage Fund and the Aroostook County Fund this fall.