A Journey Through 25 Years:
2000
August
WinterKids Becomes Independent Nonprofit
WinterKids becomes a fully independent 501 c 3 non-profit, founded by Carla Marcus.
Ski Passport Officially Recognized as the WinterKids Passport
Initially a SkiMaine initiative, WinterKids takes on management of the Ski Passport program, officially renaming it the WinterKids Passport. The program offers free lift tickets to 5th graders across Maine.
September
First Outdoor Learning Curriculum
WinterKids’ first Outdoor Learning Curriculum is launched.
2001
WinterKids Passport Expands to Include XC Skiing
With the new expansion, the Passport now offers free passes with 16 downhill and 13 cross country area partners.
2002
National Outdoor Learning Curriculum Developed
Aligned with National Education Standards
Passport Expands to Include More Ages
WinterKids Passport expands to include 5th, 6th, and 7th grades, with 31 downhill and cross country area partners participating.
2003
January
Active Academic Workshops Begin
WinterKids Active Academic Workshops travel statewide to students, teachers, and after-school programs, with 302 kids participating. These dynamic workshops provide teachers with the tools they need to get their students outside and active during the winter. They are based on the 140-page Winter Outdoor Fitness Curriculum Guide (aligned with State of Maine Learning Results and National Education Standards).
World Class Athlete Tour Launches
World Class Athlete Tour reaches over 2,100 children across Maine over the course of three years (2003-2005).
2004
WinterKids Programs included in CDC Database
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) includes WinterKids Outdoor Learning Curriculum and Passport in its Health Promotion and Education Database.
University of Maine partners with WinterKids World Class Athlete Tour
2005
July
Marion Doyle Joins Team WinterKids
Marion Doyle joined the WinterKids team in 2005 and continues to serve today as Education Director.
WinterKids Launches Three New Programs
WinterKids Live!, WinterKids SnowSchool are launched, and Welcome to Winter is developed, an outreach program designed to introduce immigrant, refugee, and low-income families to winter.
2006
Passport Expands to Include Skating, Tubing, and More.
The WinterKids Passport expands to include 50 statewide partners: 16 downhill, 19 cross-country, 11 ice arenas, 3 tubing and sledding parks, and 1 dog sled center.
Active Academic Workshops Double in Participation
Active Academics Workshops reach 883 kids at 18 schools across Maine, a 100% growth over the prior year (473 in 2005). First workshop is conducted for non-English speaking children.
2007
Outdoor Learning Curriculum Expands Across the Country
New Balance Foundation Partners with WinterKids
The New Balance Foundation begins a partnership with WinterKids to offer programs to children in the New Balance factory towns of Skowhegan, Norridgewock, and Norway.
2008
Carla Marcus Steps Down, and Julie Mulkern joins Team WinterKids
Founder, Carla Marcus, steps down from the Executive Director position, after serving for 8 years. Julie Mulkern joins WinterKids as Development Director and will eventually lead as Executive Director until 2024.
WinterKids Introduces the FunPass
WinterKids introduces the FunPass for children in pre-school through grade 4 to enjoy snowshoeing and cross country skiing at over 20 Maine locations for free.
2009
June
First Fundraising Event
WinterKids holds its first annual fundraising event, An Evening with Olympic Gold Medalist, Seth Wescott, and receives the organization’s largest ever individual gift from Steve Campbell, in memory of his son, Cooper.
December
First Cooper Campbell Day
at Shawnee Peak
WinterKids kicks off the season with the first-ever Cooper Campbell Day, a learn to ski or snowboard event for 75 children and adults at Shawnee Peak.
2010
Continued Growth With Active Academics Workshops
Active Academics Workshops continue steady growth, seeing 1,587 kids in 25 schools across Maine in 2009, and 2,363 kids in 26 schools in 2010.
Jack Mannheimer Fund Established
A new fund in honor of long time board member, Jack Mannheimer, is established.
WinterKids Unveils Plans for the WinterKids Challenge
The new WinterKids Challenge will be developed for Maine teachers to participate in active outdoor lessons at least 3 times during winter.
WinterKids Board of Directors Expands to 15 Members
2011
January
Snowshoe and StoryWalk© Loan Program Launches
2012
June
Inaugural License to Chill
at Bubba’s Sulky Lounge
The first ever License to Chill, held at Bubba’s Sulky Lounge in Portland, brought together 275 WinterKids supporters for a night of laughter, music and fun, raising nearly $20,000.
2013
March
Inaugural Downhill Derby
at Mt Abram
December
Peisner Nordic Fund (2013-2024) & George K Scholarship Fund (2013-2018) established
2014
March
Downhill Derby becomes Downhill 24
at Mt. Abram
2016
March
Downhill 24 Moves to Sugarloaf Mountain
2018
August
WinterKids is Beneficiary of the TD Beach to Beacon
January
Inaugural WinterKids Winter Games
Ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics, one elementary school in each of Maine’s 16 counties competed in a four-week outdoor physical activity and nutrition challenge, competing for cash prizes and equipment for their schools. In all, over 4,500 students and 230 teachers across the state participated.
2019
November
WinterKids Passport Goes Mobile
2021
January
Winter Games Adapt to first “Play Along“ format due to Covid
2022
January
Winter Games officially launches two distinct tracks: Play Along and Competitive
2023
August
Downhill 24 Outdoor Fund Established (2022-2024)
2024
Julie Mulkern Steps Down, and Courtney Holub joins Team WinterKids as Executive Director
August
Learn to Ski Days Re-Introduced
2025
WinterKids Outdoor Experience Fund Announced
“As part of the GEO team, Get Everyone Outside, participating with Winter Kids helps tremendously with having fun activities to do with the younger students. I look forward to making the sun catchers with our class every year! They enjoy collecting items, creating masterpieces, and then predicting if it will freeze or not with the temperatures we are having. So fun!”
-Nichole Bryant, Get Everyone Outside
Because of this competition, my family is now rethinking our snack choices and making healthier ones, our kids and community have formed a wonderful bond coming together for one goal, and you managed to get a Mom, who hates winter and the cold, outside embracing the beauty of Maine having fun with her kids.
Dayton Consolidated School Mom
We tried cross country skiing for the first time & we all liked it. Lots of fun & a great discount on kids rentals.
Heike Gondolfo, Scarborough
How do you combine a community, school, home, nutrition, exercise, team, kids, parents, teachers, school spirit, awareness, and fun? Participate in WinterKids Winter Games!! Seriously had no idea how amazing this would be and what our community was capable of! The support and Camaraderie is incredible. What a positive experience this has been for our kids and all the parents too!
Christina Barber
Kudos to you and this organization for mapping out such a wonderful program for Maine schools. I have been blown away by every aspect of this initiative.
Christine Bertinet
Principal / Waterboro Elementary School
We were able to ski affordably and wouldn't have gotten to do this without the app. We also tried ice skating for the first time.
Celeste Emery, North Yarmouth
WinterKids provides an opportunity to directly impact kids so they develop a love for the outdoors and learn how to make good choices about food and lifestyle. That excites me!
Derrick Hill
WinterKids Board President / Oldcastle Materials, Inc.
Being a parent and a WinterKids volunteer is a wonderful way to give back, but it also brings it full circle for me. My employer supports WinterKids and encourages my participation which makes it so easy to volunteer! Oh, and don't forget the WinterKids staff, they have FUN written all over them!
Erin Embrey
WinterKids Volunteer / TD Bank
I think the WinterKids [Learn Outside Guide] is great!! There are so many things that can be done to help get kids moving, yet connect it back to many areas of education as well. ELC is an alternative school for students who just can't seem to work in a public school setting. We generally try to do activities that do get them outside and moving since the kids we work with tend to do better with hands on activities.
Stephanie Tyler
Early Learning Center, New Hampshire
The WinterKids Guide to Outdoor Active Learning has brought so much to our school, not just in ways that keep the children physically active but also in ways to keep them engaged socially and emotionally. Many of the activities are geared to get the children working together and becoming a team, no winners, no losers...just kids having fun.
Penni Theriault
I had such great opportunities growing up to ski and snowboard in the Maine mountains, so I am glad to give back by reaching out to kids and encouraging them to get outside and participate in healthy winter sports. WinterKids creates those opportunities for kids.
Seth Wescott
Two-time Olympic champion in the snowboard cross / Winterstick
It has been inspirational to watch our community unite around a common purpose of healthy, active kids.
Sarah Maxwell
Assistant Principal / Waldo T. Skillen School
Let's just say several parents told me their students were sleeping better at night and at school we've had much less behavior issues this week! Two very big positives for WinterKids Winter Games challenge week #2!!
C. Ellis
Principal / Miles Lane Elementary
The kids were so excited to go outside and therefore were more engaged in the lesson. It was also a great way for me to get a quick check in on the where the kids were with these skills.
Kate Moore
Brown Elementary, New Hampshire
I am SO thankful for the impact this Winter Kids competition has on our kids. In this short time, the changes in attitudes, physical activity, even the helpfulness of students was very heart-warming.
School Nurse
Piscataquis Community Elementary School
We loved our WinterKids materials. The kids had so much fun using the animal track tracker. We spent many afternoons looking for new animal prints.
Toby Watt
Wee Care Daycare, New Hampshire
Because of this competition, my family is now rethinking our snack choices and making healthier ones, our kids and community have formed a wonderful bond coming together for one goal, and you managed to get a Mom, who hates winter and the cold, outside embracing the beauty of Maine having fun with her kids.
Dayton Consolidated School Mom
We tried cross country skiing for the first time & we all liked it. Lots of fun & a great discount on kids rentals.
Heike Gondolfo, Scarborough
How do you combine a community, school, home, nutrition, exercise, team, kids, parents, teachers, school spirit, awareness, and fun? Participate in WinterKids Winter Games!! Seriously had no idea how amazing this would be and what our community was capable of! The support and Camaraderie is incredible. What a positive experience this has been for our kids and all the parents too!
Christina Barber
Kudos to you and this organization for mapping out such a wonderful program for Maine schools. I have been blown away by every aspect of this initiative.
Christine Bertinet
Principal / Waterboro Elementary School
We were able to ski affordably and wouldn't have gotten to do this without the app. We also tried ice skating for the first time.
Celeste Emery, North Yarmouth
WinterKids provides an opportunity to directly impact kids so they develop a love for the outdoors and learn how to make good choices about food and lifestyle. That excites me!
Derrick Hill
WinterKids Board President / Oldcastle Materials, Inc.
Share Your Story
At WinterKids, we believe in the power of outdoor winter fun to inspire healthy, lifelong habits—and we know the magic of those moments often extends far beyond the snow.
Whether you’re a family, teacher, student, or part of a community program like Parks & Recreation, we’d love to hear how WinterKids has positively changed your life, classroom, or community.
Maybe it’s a newfound love of winter activities, stronger connections with friends and family, or a special memory made at one of our events or programs. Whatever your WinterKids story is, big or small, it matters to us—and it could inspire others to get outside, explore, and embrace all that winter has to offer!
