Lincoln Academy’s IDEAL Program and Kieve Wavus Education Celebrate a Decade of Collaboration and Service-Based Learning
Lincoln Academy’s IDEAL Program is proud to announce that its thriving partnership with Kieve Wavus Education (KWE) has now spanned over ten years. This collaboration has created a dynamic environment where students, educators, and community members all benefit from meaningful, hands-on learning experiences.
During the school year, Kieve Wavus Education runs The Leadership School (TLS), which places its educators in local schools across Maine to provide invaluable expertise in social-emotional learning, with the goal of helping each student become a more socially and emotionally competent learner and community member. Over the last decade, six different TLS educators have contributed their expertise to the IDEAL Program, teaching a wide range of subjects, including Wilderness First Aid, Poetry, and fitness-focused courses such as Fit & Weight. In addition to classroom instruction, educators have engaged students in experiential, place-based learning opportunities that extend well beyond traditional academic settings.
Reflecting on his experience as a KWE Educator in Residence in IDEAL, Matteo Perper (EIR 2025) emphasized the intentional culture that defines the program.
“What struck me about IDEAL is how intentionally human it is. The educators cultivate a genuinely home-like environment through small, concrete practices. Food is cooked. Students have their own armchairs. There are shared rituals, sometimes even tea parties. This is not incidental. For many students, this sense of belonging is what keeps them engaged with school in the first place.”
Perper also noted that IDEAL’s service-based learning model plays a critical role in student growth, both academically and socially. “Through service-based learning that involves working alongside others and helping out with diverse tasks, students push themselves outside of their comfort zone and learn crucial social skills. The collaboration works because KWE also believes wholeheartedly in the importance of connecting with students as people first. Once that trust is there, learning and growth become possible.”
“It’s been an easy collaboration; there are a number of IDEAL teachers who have worked at KWE or continue to work at our summer camps. And many of the IDEAL students have previously been on campus while in middle school through The Leadership School,” said Will Bliss, Associate Operations Director at KWE and former Educator in Residence at Lincoln Academy. “That familiarity adds another thread in the Lincoln County community that makes the whole partnership that much more fun and impactful.”
“Through this partnership, our students learn the value of community engagement while gaining hands-on experience that reinforces classroom learning,” said Janna Civittolo, IDEAL Director. “It’s a model of place-based, project-driven education that helps students, especially those who are struggling learners, grow academically, socially, and emotionally.”
Students enrolled in IDEAL’s Service-Based Learning Course have actively contributed to the community while developing essential skills. Projects at KWE have included trail maintenance, building decks, organizing spaces, repairing benches, gardening, and a variety of other community-driven initiatives.
“Many hands make light work, and IDEAL brings that to life every time they’re on campus,” Bliss added. In exchange, students gain access to KWE’s indoor and outdoor ropes courses, ice fishing excursions, and other unique experiential learning activities.
The collaboration also fosters professional development and teacher training. Many former educators have returned to work with IDEAL or Lincoln Academy, supported by Civittolo and other staff, to develop their teaching skills while providing high-quality instruction to students. This approach strengthens IDEAL’s mission of Innovatively Designed Education for All Learners by combining individualized instruction with real-world, applied experiences.
“This long-standing partnership exemplifies the power of service-based learning,” Civittolo said. “Our students benefit from rich, meaningful projects while building lasting relationships with educators and the broader community. Meanwhile, TLS educators gain invaluable experience teaching in a supportive, place-based learning environment.”
Lincoln Academy’s IDEAL Program and Kieve Wavus Education look forward to continuing this partnership, expanding opportunities for students and educators alike, and fostering a lasting legacy of experiential, service-driven learning in the years to come.
