Orr’s Island native Crystal Floccher recently became part of the inaugural class at Maine’s first charter school, the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences.

The academy opened its doors Oct. 1 to 46 students from all corners of the state, the school said in a news release.

The school’s academic program uses hands-on, projectbased learning rooted in the themes of agricultural, environmental science, forestry and sustainability to move students toward proficiency of the Maine Learning Results.

In addition to attracting students with an interest in natural sciences, the school — which uses the acronym MeANS — is geared toward students who have dropped out of school, who are at risk of dropping out, or who are uninspired by the traditional classroom experience.

Every academy student works with a faculty mentor to design a “personal learning plan” tailored to his or her specific learning goals.

Students also are required to take a least one college course at Kennenbec Valley Community College, which is adjacent to the campus, prior to graduation and to pursue internship or apprenticeship opportunities.