Ben Clark is no stranger to Wiscasset High School or the community.

In fact, that's why he wanted to teach there.

Clark gets to invoke that love of community to Wiscasset High School's upperclassmen as he becomes the school's new social studies teacher.

Clark has been a coach with both the Wiscasset High School's girls basketball and tennis programs, so he knows the students and the school.

“That's what I like about living in such a small town — you get to know everyone,” he said. “But the best part is, we have really good kids up here (at the high school).

“I live here, so the idea of teaching in the community where my family lives was very attractive to me. I'd always hoped that I would end up at Wiscasset (High School) and feel pretty fortunate that I did.”

Last year, Clark taught up the road at Gardiner High School.

This year, Clark will be teaching students all about how to be more involved in their community when he teaches “Principles of Democracy.”

“(Principles of Democracy) is really about being involved, active citizens,” he said. “It's actually been a lot of fun so far.”

Most of the work is not unlike being a small-town reporter: The students study how localized, small-town government works; and the hope is that they in turn become more involved, Clark said.

“The kids will go to town meetings and school board meetings, and as they get involved, they get to see how the town governs itself,” he said. “It's also about being more involved with what's going on in your community. We're lucky because the community is so active, that it's easier to be involved.”

Clark said his predecessor, Kelley Borg Duffy, pioneered the class, and he aims to keep the general themes of creating concerned citizens intact.

In addition to the senior-level “Principles of Democracy” class, Clark will also be teaching junior-level history.

No matter the subject, the best part of being in or out of the classroom is getting to interact with the community, Clark said.

“I'll go to Shaw's and run into one of my students; everyone knows everyone,” he said. “And this is a town that supports the school, that holds up education as something very important. As someone with a young family, that's a community you want to be a part of.”