Ketcha Outdoors

Specialty camps are a wonderful way to experience Ketcha! Campers will travel with their group to various program areas over the course of the week and in addition, they will spend specialty program time each day engaged in their camp's theme. Specialty programs will vary and include activities led by our staff, special guest visitors, and field trips. Each specialty camp is tailored and designed around unique interests and include focuses on Art, STEM, Animals, Outdoor Survival, White Water Rafting and more. Groups are split by age into Mini (5-6yr), Junior (7-9yr), and Senior (10-14yr).

Young adults 14-16 yeas old interested in developing their leadership skills and making a positive impact on children are ideal candidates for our innovative Counselor-in-Training (CIT) program. CITs explore potential career paths involving children and prepare for possible future work as a camp counselor. The CIT program covers leadership development, behavioral training, motivating campers, job application and interview training, ropes course belay training, and basic First Aid, Leave No Trace training, as well as a chance to have fun and build connections with their group. The first half of the program consists of hands-on-training. During the second half, CITs are placed within groups under the leadership of seasoned counselors to experience being a counselor.
The Leader-in-Training is for young adults who have completed the CIT program at Camp Ketcha or another camp and are interested in continuing to become a leader should continue in our Leadership- In-Training program.

The Portland Gear Hub powered by Ketcha Outdoors is a full-service outdoor gear store in the East Bayside neighborhood of Portland. The Gear Hub refurbishes and redistributes reliable outdoor gear and bikes in order to increase equitable access to affordable, reliable gear and lower the barrier of entry for those interested in outdoor recreation and/or sustainable transportation. The Gear Hub's staff and volunteers also provide free and low-cost bicycle maintenance classes for youth and adults, and through the Bikes for All Mainers, provide hundreds of refurbished bicycles to individuals and families annually.

We offer after school care at Ketcha Outdoors Monday-Friday from 3-6pm for Scarborough residents. After school students participate in outdoor activities with a different theme each day, for example: Arts and Crafts, Farm and Garden, Sports, Wilderness Exploration, STEM activities and free choice Friday. We also have frequent guest visitors such as Naturalists-led book making, science experiments, visits from Scarborough Police Department, Wildlife Animal experts and the Maine Pops. We also have a strong commitment to incorporating social emotional learning topics into our daily programming and cover topics like self-awareness, identity , and coping skills in age appropriate settings.

Ketcha Outdoors offers unique outdoor programming in our nature -based preschool for kids ages 3-5. We practice place-based teaching, rooted in the Reggio Emilia approach, throughout our 107 acres of forest, fields, farm, and waterways. Our students are active in the outdoors year-round and in all types of weather playing, learning, hiking and spending time at our farm and garden. We know that learning happens best through play, so we schedule many opportunities for both structured and unstructured play throughout the day, allowing our students to immerse themselves in the diverse natural settings on our property. We provide the freedom and support needed for child-led exploration, discovery, imaginative and creative play, risk-taking, problem-solving, socializing, and mindful moments. We believe that all children can learn and can contribute to their community, so we cultivate an inclusive environment that honors the diversity of life in both our human cultures and the natural world.