Muddy Sneakers Fall 2018 Newsletter

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INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT Dawn Anderson Piedmont Instructor Creative growth spurs renewed investment What do you most enjoy about your work with Muddy Sneakers? I’ve been a mom for 30 years and a middle school teacher for more than 17 years. Throughout it all, I have always loved the challenge of truly engaging a child’s curiosity and interest. When it comes to the natural world, there is so much to notice and wonder about! I love helping kids move from the green blur of nature to focus on the many clear, fascinating, and scientific details there are to be discovered. What do you think makes Muddy Sneakers a unique school partner? Today, with such an emphasis placed on testing results, classroom teachers face many demands. I am overjoyed to work for an organization that can help students pass the test, while at the same time engaging kids in hands-on, scientific inquiry that stimulates their curiosity and also brings such joy. What is your favorite Piedmont site for programming? Some of my favorite spots are along the rustic trails of the Uwharrie Mountains. The examples of ecosystem interactions come alive there, as do the principles of friction, gravity, radiation, and convection. I feel privileged to teach science in such an inspiring outdoor classroom with the peaceful song of birds in the background and the smell of pines in the air. This school year, Muddy Sneakers enters its second decade of inspiring students, and we do so with our strongest staff to date and under a strategic plan focused on reaching more students, across new landscapes, while growing sustainably. We want to thank all of you who helped us celebrate our landmark 10th year and especially those who have stepped forward to dream with us as we imagine the growth opportunities ahead. In 2018-2019 we will serve a record number of students and school districts while continuing to prove the portability of our program through expansion in the Piedmont. With appropriate capacity and a replicable model in place, the organization now sets its sights on what it will take to become a statewide organization and eventually serve all corners of North Carolina. With many developments to share, here are a few highlights: • This summer we received a third single-year appropriation from the NC General Assembly, but at a reduced level. Funds will go toward expanding in each region and making preparations for a new field office. • Plans are in place to open a third field office in the coastal region of NC in the 2019-2020 school year. • We will continue the growth of satellite programming, introduced last spring, to serve more rural, high-need schools. In 2018-2019, our program includes an expanded number of students in Robeson, Cherokee, and Macon counties. • We recently began a collaborative four-year longitudinal study with our ongoing research partner, North Carolina State University. This second phase of research will look at a variety of topics, including the lasting impacts of Muddy Sneakers beyond fifth grade, with a focus on student and teacher alumni of the program. • We will soon launch a corporate and business sponsorship program. Clearly, the adventure continues as we move into our next decade. We invite you to join us as we make the vision of serving many more students a reality. We look forward to having you with us as we blaze this trail! We are on social media! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Ryan Olson, Executive Director
New staff bring professional depth Perry Hodgkins Jones Muddy Sneakers continues to become an increasingly effective and strategic organization. Over the past year, we have separated our home office from the day-to-day programming operations. As part of that improved structure, we brought on board two accomplished professionals. Carolyn Morrisroe Allow us to introduce Development Officer Perry Hodgkins Jones and Communications Coordinator Carolyn Morrisroe. STUDENT INSPIRATION An Autumn Poem Written by Muddy Sneakers student Charlie on a September expedition With the last view of rocky slopes that shine in the light so beautiful and grand with sights worth my eyes, yellowjackets fighting, wasps buzzing by A sight for my eyes A sight for my eyes Leaves flying through the last day of summer fall is tomorrow But think about today for memories happen in the Charleston Dinner marks 11th year An enchanting afternoon at a gorgeous venue among friends old and new — what more could you ask for? Our 11th annual Charleston Dinner in Cedar Mountain on Aug. 26 was a delight. Thanks to all who supported us through the event, whether in person or from afar. Special thanks to children’s author Jo Hackl, who entertained those in attendance with a reading from her charming new novel, “Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe.” moment not the next day or the day before Now is your time. Muddy Sneakers co-founder and board member emeritus Aleen Steinberg, left, greets friends at the Charleston Dinner. SITE SPOTLIGHT Walnut Creek Preserve On a land crossed by sparkling streams and dotted with native hardwood forests grew an opportunity for students in Polk County to get closer to nature. Fifteen years ago, Babs and Bob Strickland began preserving portions of their property in Polk County, and today almost 1,600 acres of Walnut Creek Preserve is protected through conservation easements held by Conserving Carolina. They also created the Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center on the site in honor of their 22-year-old daughter who passed away in 1997. The Stricklands reached out to Muddy Sneakers through a friend, Delores Lastinger, which led to program implementation on the property last year. In the 2018-2019 school year, Sunny View Elementary, Lake Lure Classical Academy, and Saluda Elementary are slated to explore the wonders of Walnut Creek Preserve. Babs Strickland says, “Our primary goal is to expose young people to the pleasures of having a personal, tactile relationship with the natural world — its smells and sounds and feel, to arouse their curiosity to learn about nature and its fundamental importance to humans.”
Page 1: PATHWAYS notes from the field Muddy

Muddy Sneakers Fall 2018 Newsletter

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