Please do not leave this page until complete. This can take a few moments.
Before Andy Shepard visited Aroostook County, he imagined it was a vast expanse of wilderness wracked by decline. But when he traveled to Fort Kent in 1998 with his son for the high school state ski championships, he found instead a highly-engaged community with a great sense of pride.
“The pride people had was really impactful,” he says. “Through volunteer effort, they had built a ski trail and the Lonesome Pine Ski Center, which was awesome.”
Shepard, who worked in product development at L.L.Bean at the time, saw the potential to leverage the area's resources to help kids and adults develop active, outdoor lifestyles and boost the local economy in the process. That vision ultimately evolved into the nonprofit Maine Winter Sports Center, which recently broadened its mission and changed its name to the Outdoor Sport Institute.
“If you help kids build skills, self-direction, and connection to others, and give them an opportunity to work through challenges in the context of sports, they'll develop the resilience to tackle bigger challenges later in life,” Shepard says. “And if you help them connect with the natural world, they'll value it and protect it.”
Since its founding in 1999, the organization has built two biathlon and cross-country skiing facilities and redeveloped three alpine ski areas. The sites have created more than $100 million in economic impact, and spurred private investment in hotels, restaurants, and shops. OSI has partnered with 40 organizations in 140 communities throughout Maine to get kids and adults active outdoors, through skiing, biathlon, hiking, climbing, paddling, running and other sports. Its work includes everything from developing trails to training coaches and providing communities with use of skis and kayaks.
Much of that work has been funded by the Libra Foundation. In 2014, Libra Foundation terminated its funding, and MWSC embarked on a capital campaign to build a $20 million endowment. This effort was bolstered by Presque Isle native Mary Barton Smith, who gave $2 million and pledged another $3 million in matching gift. Individuals and donors have given another $2 million.
Shepard spoke with Mainebiz about the OSI's recent changes.
Mainebiz: How will the mission of the Outdoor Sport Institute be different from Maine Winter Sports Center?
Andy Shepard: The mission of the Maine Winter Sports Center was originally based on using skiing to create a model of sustainability for rural communities in northern Maine. That model included an economic development component based on the building of Nordic venues and redevelopment of alpine ski areas, as well as a full range of programs intended to empower kids through a world-class curriculum of outdoor sport education. Over the years, paddle sports, mountain biking, hiking and climbing were added and our scope became statewide. The mission of the OSI takes the globally recognized programming piece and now focuses all our organizational creativity, energy and knowledge entirely on using outdoor sports to develop the confidence and skills to be able to face and overcome the challenges inevitable in life — to empower the next generation.
MB: How does the OSI's work impact Maine businesses?
AS: We're trying to create an empowered workforce of people who have the grit to face adversity and a bias for success. The challenges that the outdoors and sport present allow us to develop skills to work through challenges and not see failures as an endpoint, but as a waypoint along a journey. We're preparing our workforce to position Maine to be an economic force in the 21st century.
MB: Why the name change?
AS: We had to change the name to reflect the evolution of the organization. The name Maine Winter Sports Center was very heavily tied to the ski venues and biathlon. It was preventing people from understanding that we have year-round programming in each of Maine's 16 counties. But you won't interact with our staff without knowing that this is a Maine-based program with Maine values.
Read more
The Giving Guide helps nonprofits have the opportunity to showcase and differentiate their organizations so that businesses better understand how they can contribute to a nonprofit’s mission and work.
Learn MoreWork for ME is a workforce development tool to help Maine’s employers target Maine’s emerging workforce. Work for ME highlights each industry, its impact on Maine’s economy, the jobs available to entry-level workers, the training and education needed to get a career started.
Learn MoreFew people are adequately prepared for all the tasks involved in planning and providing care for aging family members. SeniorSmart provides an essential road map for navigating the process. This resource guide explores the myriad of care options and offers essential information on topics ranging from self-care to legal and financial preparedness.
Learn moreThe Giving Guide helps nonprofits have the opportunity to showcase and differentiate their organizations so that businesses better understand how they can contribute to a nonprofit’s mission and work.
Work for ME is a workforce development tool to help Maine’s employers target Maine’s emerging workforce. Work for ME highlights each industry, its impact on Maine’s economy, the jobs available to entry-level workers, the training and education needed to get a career started.
Few people are adequately prepared for all the tasks involved in planning and providing care for aging family members. SeniorSmart provides an essential road map for navigating the process. This resource guide explores the myriad of care options and offers essential information on topics ranging from self-care to legal and financial preparedness.
In order to use this feature, we need some information from you. You can also login or register for a free account.
By clicking submit you are agreeing to our cookie usage and Privacy Policy
Already have an account? Login
Already have an account? Login
Want to create an account? Register
In order to use this feature, we need some information from you. You can also login or register for a free account.
By clicking submit you are agreeing to our cookie usage and Privacy Policy
Already have an account? Login
Already have an account? Login
Want to create an account? Register
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Our privacy policy
To ensure the best experience on our website, articles cannot be read without allowing cookies. Please allow cookies to continue reading. Our privacy policy
Comments