Muddy Sneakers Coastal Expansion
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Announcing<br />
<strong>Coastal</strong> <strong>Expansion</strong><br />
2019-2020
WHO WE ARE<br />
<strong>Muddy</strong> <strong>Sneakers</strong> is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit<br />
that delivers high-quality outdoor science<br />
education to fifth-grade public school<br />
students. It was founded in Brevard in<br />
2007 with the goal of supplementing<br />
science instruction while connecting<br />
children with nearby protected lands.
OUR MISSION<br />
To awaken in children a deeply felt<br />
connection with the natural world —<br />
one that inspires curiosity, stimulates<br />
learning, and brings new life to<br />
classroom performance.
WHO WE SERVE<br />
• Fifth-grade students<br />
at traditional and<br />
charter public schools<br />
WHERE IT HAPPENS<br />
We use sites within 30-45 minutes of<br />
partnering schools as outdoor classrooms:<br />
• Schoolyards<br />
• State parks<br />
• State forests<br />
• National forests<br />
• County parks<br />
• Privately owned<br />
protected properties
HOW IT WORKS<br />
• Partnering schools commit to 6 to 10 full-day<br />
learning expeditions during the school year.<br />
• Instructors spend each<br />
day engaging students<br />
in outdoor science<br />
learning framed around<br />
a different topic of the<br />
NC Essential<br />
Standards for Science.<br />
• <strong>Muddy</strong> <strong>Sneakers</strong> employs local, highly<br />
qualified science educators who are<br />
passionate about teaching and the outdoors.
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT<br />
MUDDY SNEAKERS<br />
• Low student-instructor ratio, never to exceed 12:1<br />
• Repeat, immersive learning experiences<br />
• Commitment to serving the needs of schools<br />
through a deep integration with the North Carolina<br />
Essential Standards for science<br />
• Unique blend of<br />
academics, exploration,<br />
and reflection<br />
• Ongoing research<br />
partnership with<br />
North Carolina State<br />
University
OUR REACH<br />
Western North Carolina<br />
2007-present<br />
Home/Field office: Brevard<br />
1,523 students<br />
25 schools<br />
11 counties<br />
12 districts<br />
* Map does not reflect county added<br />
midyear: Madison
OUR REACH<br />
Piedmont North Carolina<br />
2016-present<br />
Field office: Salisbury<br />
1,350 students<br />
18 schools<br />
6 counties<br />
6 districts<br />
* Map does not reflect counties added<br />
midyear: Anson and Guilford
COASTAL EXPANSION<br />
Prospective launch: 2019-2020 school year<br />
Field office: New Bern (tentative)<br />
Initially looking to serve:<br />
800-1,000 students<br />
from a seven-county area
COASTAL EXPANSION<br />
GOALS<br />
• Adapt our successful outdoor science<br />
program to the coastal region<br />
• Ignite a passion for scientific inquiry<br />
• Provide supplemental hands-on science<br />
instruction in support of STEM<br />
• Connect children with the region’s abundant<br />
public and privately protected land
NATURE-BASED<br />
STEM INSTRUCTION<br />
• <strong>Muddy</strong> <strong>Sneakers</strong> sees itself not as a field trip but<br />
as an extension of the classroom.<br />
• Programming is student-centered and aligned<br />
with the NC Essential Standards for Science.<br />
• We are the core “S” in STEM,<br />
offering early experiential<br />
science lessons that lay the<br />
foundation for continued love<br />
of inquiry.<br />
• We prepare students for more<br />
advanced STEM instruction to<br />
follow.
PHOTOS & TESTIMONIALS
"You tricked me! We were<br />
learning but it felt just like<br />
we were having fun!"<br />
– Student, Central Elementary
"I can see an<br />
improvement in my<br />
students' proficiency and<br />
I am excited to see where<br />
they will be when the end<br />
of the year comes<br />
around."<br />
– Teacher,<br />
North Rowan Elementary
"This is the best class<br />
I've ever had!”<br />
– Student,<br />
Piney Grove Elementary
”The forest is our<br />
laboratory!”<br />
– Student,<br />
Hall Fletcher Elementary
"It was awesome to see ALL students<br />
engaged in cooperative learning and<br />
working together to investigate scientific<br />
concepts in nature. Inquiry-based science<br />
was at full force!"<br />
– Teacher, Piney Grove Elementary
”You’re teaching me how<br />
to think like a scientist.<br />
I get it!"<br />
– Student,<br />
North Rowan Elementary
FIND OUT MORE!<br />
Lindsay Green<br />
lindsay@muddysneakers.org<br />
Home Office<br />
828-862-5560<br />
P.O. Box 146<br />
Brevard, NC 28712<br />
www.muddysneakers.org
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