CUMBERLAND -Next year, sixth-graders may be able to spend a week studying Chesapeake Bay wildlife, hiking through the woods and coasting down a zipline at NorthBay Adventure Camp.

"We were really impressed with the facility," Braddock Middle Science teacher Heather Sinclair told the Allegany County Board of Education at its Tuesday meeting.

After visiting the 350-acre learning center located in Cecil County, Sinclair, Braddock Middle science teacher Bob Lafferty and director of secondary education Karen Bundy prepared a presentation for the board.

The camp features bird platforms, an art studio, a wetlab, a weather station, a zipline tower, indoor and outdoor climbing walls and live feed aquariums.

Lafferty and Sinclair were impressed with the educational activities. Forty percent of the curriculum is math and science; 30 percent social studies and 30 percent language arts.

"This just sounds like a wonderful opportunity for our kids," said board member Tom Striplin.

The trip is a good way for students to understand the impact they have on the ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay, said board vice president Fred Sloan, who also visited NorthBay.

The tentative dates are May 12-19 and May 19-23.

Bundy said a grant from the Maryland State Department of Education will cover the total cost of the student registration fees. The Chesapeake Bay Trust will pay for half the transportation costs. The other half of the transportation cost is included in the board of education's fiscal 2008 budget.

For more information on NorthBay, log onto northbadventure.com

Jennifer Raley can be reached at jraley@times-news.com.