JAY, Maine — Among the rich athletic history at Jay's Spruce Mountain High School, the Envirothon team is its most successful this decade.
Led by teacher and co-mentor Rob Taylor, the star students have used their brains to fill a trophy case at school.
The team had just won its 12th state championship in the past 15 years - with no competition held in 2020. It was its third title in a row. Another Spruce Mountain team of freshmen and sophomores took third place.
The kids learn about plants, animals, and the Earth, then compete against other teams to solve problems.
Taylor said he worked with state agencies to research the efficacy of Envirothon programs and concluded they teach half of all Maine learning requirements. He thinks every school to have one.
"By doing an extracurricular activity, you can learn about half the stuff that you need to know in order to get your high school diploma," Taylor explained. "I think that’s important, and I think it’s an opportunity that every kid in Maine should have the chance to do."
The Spruce Mountain team will join around 50 other schools in New Brunswick for the international competition on July 23-29.