Announcing Coastal Expansion 2019-2020
WHO WE ARE Muddy Sneakers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers high-quality outdoor science education to fifth-grade public school students. It was founded in Brevard in 2007 with the goal of supplementing science instruction while connecting children with nearby protected lands.
OUR MISSION T o awaken in children a deeply felt connection with the natural world — one that inspires curiosity, stimulates learning, and brings new life to classroom performance.
WHO WE SERVE • Fifth-grade students at traditional and charter public schools WHERE IT HAPPENS We use sites within 30-45 minutes of partnering schools as outdoor classrooms: • Schoolyards • County parks • State parks • Privately owned protected properties • State forests • National forests
HOW IT WORKS • Partnering schools commit to 6 to 10 full-day learning expeditions during the school year. • Instructors spend each day engaging students in outdoor science learning framed around a different topic of the NC Essential Standards for Science. • Muddy Sneakers employs local, highly qualified science educators who are passionate about teaching and the outdoors.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT MUDDY SNEAKERS • Low student-instructor ratio, never to exceed 12:1 • Repeat, immersive learning experiences • Commitment to serving the needs of schools • Unique blend of academics, exploration, and reflection
OUR REACH Western North Carolina 2007-present Home/Field office: Brevard 1,523 students 25 schools 11 counties 12 districts * Map does not reflect county added midyear: Madison
OUR REACH Piedmont North Carolina 2016-present Field office: Salisbury 1,350 students 18 schools 6 counties 6 districts * Map does not reflect counties added midyear: Anson and Guilford
OUR REACH Total enrollment 2018-2019 2,873 students 43 schools 17 counties 18 districts 16,597 student days in the field
COASTAL EXPANSION Prospective launch: 2019-2020 school year Field office: New Bern (tentative) Initially looking to serve: 800-1,000 students from a seven-county area
COASTAL EXPANSION GOALS • Adapt our successful outdoor science program to the coastal region • Ignite a passion for scientific inquiry • Provide supplemental hands-on science instruction in support of STEM • Connect children with the region’s abundant public and privately protected land
INTEGRATED WITH NC CURRICULUM • Muddy Sneakers sees itself not as a field trip but as an extension of the classroom. • We have worked with DPI’s science and STEM team, and our programming is aligned with the NC Essential Standards for Science. • We are the core “S” in STEM, offering early experiential science lessons that lay the foundation for continued love of inquiry. • We prepare students for more advanced STEM instruction to follow.
WHAT WE TEACH We offer curriculum-aligned expedition topics. Schools choose a minimum of six (maximum 10). • Day 1: School in the Woods (required) • Aquatic Ecosystems • Ecosystems Interactions • Energy: Conservation & Transfer • Forces & Motion • Inheritance & Adaptation • Living Systems • Matter: Properties & Change • Terrestrial Ecosystems • Weather
A DAY IN THE FIELD • 9:00 a.m. Arrive at site • 9:05 a.m. Opening Circle • 9:10 a.m. Divide into groups of no more than 12 students • 9:15 a.m.-1:45 p.m. • Scientific field studies • Experiential learning • Nature discoveries • Lunch • Reflection • Journaling • 1:45 p.m. Closing Circle • 2:00 p.m. Depart site
RESEARCH FINDINGS Muddy Sneakers and NC State University have a unique, ongoing partnership. Our first two-year study showed that in our program: • Girls significantly increase their knowledge of and interest in science compared to those who do not participate in Muddy Sneakers. • Students grow more confident learning outside and increase their connection to nature. • Students gain a better understanding of the scientific process through experiential inquiry.
PHOTOS FROM THE FIELD
"You tricked me! We were learning but it felt just like we were having fun!" — Muddy Sneakers student
"I would go to school in the summer if we got to do Muddy Sneakers!" — Muddy Sneakers student
"This is the best class I've ever had!" — Muddy Sneakers student
"I love nature because you can find and discover new things!" — Muddy Sneakers student
FIND OUT MORE! Lindsay Green Elise Tellez lindsay@muddysneakers.org elise@muddysneakers.org Home Office 828-862-5560 P .O. Box 146 Brevard, NC 28712 www.muddysneakers.org
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