Aspire Gorham

School |
June 8, 2023

Aspire Gorham’s 2nd annual “Amazing Race of Gorham” was held on Friday, May 19th. This event partners Village Elementary School’s 5th graders with mentors from Gorham Middle School’s 8th-grade class. During this event, students work together to solve clues and navigate a scavenger hunt throughout the Gorham Village area.

Students were asked to practice their skills in introducing themselves and asking questions. As they met with area businesses, they learned about the industries in Gorham, the people that run these businesses, and about possibilities for their future career paths. Frequent questions included: “What is challenging about your job,” “What qualities do you look for in an employee of your business,” and “What do you do to support the Gorham community?”

Photo credit: Jen Belanger
Students await the next set of clues and directions as they participate in the Amazing Race of Gorham

As students traveled between each site, students from the 5th and 8th grades could connect, build camaraderie, and discuss the middle school experience. For the Village 5th grade students, as they are preparing to leave elementary school for GMS, these are welcome and needed conversations. For the 8th-grade students who are about to depart for high school, it allowed them to reflect on their middle school experience, guide their younger peers, and act as an “ambassador” for GMS.

This experience is made possible by the incredible support and enthusiasm of our local business community. This year, our business participants were:

  • Town of Gorham Planning Dept
  • Baxter Memorial Library
  • Harvey Performance
  • Great Falls Construction
  • Chalmers Insurance
  • Inn at Village Square
  • Seedlings to Sunflowers
  • PoGo Realty
  • Sync Gorham/Ferguson Enterprises
  • Sullivan Bakery
  • Norway Savings Bank
  • Edward Jones – Jessica Szafranski
  • Maine Biz

Aspire Gorham and the Gorham School System are also incredibly grateful for the support from the Gorham VIPS, who volunteered to keep our students safe and help in navigating the busy intersections of the Gorham Village.

It was a fantastic experience, and staff and students were thankful to everyone who helped to organize and participate in this fun day.