2024 - 2025 Muddy Sneakers Programs Guide

2024 – 2025
PROGRAMS
GUIDE
UPDATED
CURRICULUM:
REFLECTS 2023
SCIENCE
STANDARDS
828-862-5560
info@muddysneakers.org
muddysneakers.org
P.O. Box 10971
Raleigh, NC 27605

CONTENTS
How To Participate 3
Services can be reserved individually or
combined for deeper impact.
UPDATED CURRICULUM
ALL MUDDY SNEAKERS PROGRAMS HAVE
BEEN UPDATED TO REFLECT 2023 NC
ESSENTIAL SCIENCE STANDARDS
PROGRAMS
Field Trips & Outreach 4
Experiential, small-group STEM lessons led
by Muddy Sneakers Field Instructors.
Virtual Programs 11
Virtual, interactive STEM learning adventures
delivered to you - wherever you are.
SERVICES
Science Curriculum 16
A curriculum resource of 5th-grade teacherfacilitated
lessons for use indoors or outside.
EOG Test Prep 16
Muddy Sneakers Instructors review the NC
Essential Standards for 5th-grade Science.
Let’s Get Started
17
Partnership Overview (exclusively for NC Public Schools)
Pricing and Contact Information
Using North Carolina's natural landscapes as our
backdrop, we venture beyond the confines of traditional
classrooms to make learning more engaging, foster
physical activity, boost self-confidence, and increase
scientific aptitude among students.
1

THE “MAGIC” OF MUDDY SNEAKERS
At Muddy Sneakers, we strive to instill in students a lifelong love of nature and
inquiry while enhancing academic achievement, promoting social-emotional
learning, and supporting classroom teachers. Experiential learning is at the core of
what we do and allows us to reimagine the traditional classroom while
incorporating six basic principles:
Student-centered learning
Inquiry-based learning
Social & emotional learning
Comfort and safety in the outdoors
Thoughtful program pacing
Hands-on learning
To learn more about the benefits of outdoor education and
Muddy Sneakers, please see our Annual Evaluation Report.
OUR MISSION
The mission of Muddy Sneakers is
to awaken in children a deeply felt
connection with the natural world
— one that inspires curiosity,
stimulates learning, and brings
new life to classroom performance.
1
2

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
Programs can be reserved individually or in any combination.
North Carolina public schools may be eligible to receive
subsidized rates for year-long partnerships. See details below.
STEP 1
Identify which program(s) you would like.
STEP 2
Complete a Program Interest Form
STEP 3
A team member will be in touch to discuss
dates, times, and locations - and answer any
questions you may have!
Learn More
Shadow a program or
schedule a free consultation.
Email info@muddysneakers.org
Who We Work With
Public Schools
Private Schools
Charter Schools
After-School Programs
Summer Camps
Corporate Entities
Youth Groups
Scout Troops
What We Offer
Annual partnerships (5th grade public
schools only; see below)
Field Trips
Outreach Programs
Summer Camps
After-School Programs
Weekend Retreats
Team-Building
ANNUAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR NC PUBLIC SCHOOLS
A limited number of deeply discounted annual partnerships are available to North Carolina’s
fifth-grade public school classrooms.
Funding for annual partnerships is provided by private foundations, corporate sponsors,
individual donors, and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
See page 17 to learn more.
3

FIELD TRIPS & OUTREACH PROGRAMS
In nature’s classroom,
lessons are everywhere.
3
4

FIELD TRIPS & OUTREACH
FAQs
WHAT ARE FIELD TRIPS?
Field Trips are experiential, small-group experiences led by Muddy
Sneakers’ certified field instructors in outdoor natural spaces.
WHAT ARE OUTREACH PROGRAMS?
Let us come to your site! Our experiential outreach programs are led
by our certified instructors in your outdoor space.*
*outreach program availability may be limited due to program requirements such as the
presence of trees and waterways.
Both experiences connect participants to natural spaces through
hands-on learning, play, and activities in science, art, mindfulness,
team building, and more!
Please see our Annual Evaluation Report to
learn more about the benefits of our field trips.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Muddy Sneakers specializes in serving 5th-grade students.
However, our programs can be scaled for participants of all ages!
Muddy Sneakers welcomes participants of different ability levels
and varying levels of comfort outdoors. We are prepared to make
reasonable accommodations with prior notice.
A magical landscape is
ours to explore, from the
mountains to the foothills,
the Piedmont to the coast.
Field Trips:
PROGRAM
LOCATION
national parks
state parks
county & city parks
private preserved lands
Sites are selected based on travel
time & group needs
Outreach Program:
Bring Muddy Sneakers to
your outdoor space!
WHAT CAN I EXPECT ON A FIELD TRIP?
No outdoor experience is necessary! However, be prepared for:
GROUP SIZE
Prolonged
periods of
walking outdoors
Limited cell
phone reception
Limited access to
restroom facilities
Unpredictable or
uncomfortable weather
conditions*
Potential wildlife
encounters
Minimum: 10 participants
One adult chaperone per 12
children is required for youth
programs.
AVERAGE
DURATION
Field Trip: 5 hrs
Outreach Program: 2.5 hrs
*Programs may be rescheduled in the event of extreme or unsafe
weather conditions per the discretion of the Muddy Sneakers team.
5

SCIENCE CONNECTION
FIELD TRIPS & OUTREACH
DAY 1: SCHOOL IN THE
WOODS
An introduction to using the outdoors as a learning
environment. Participants learn basic safety
procedures, Leave No Trace principles, navigation,
and personal wellness in the outdoors while
becoming accustomed to their new role as field
scientists!
AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
Discover what makes aquatic ecosystems unique
and interconnected! During this aquatic science
lab, participants will practice observation skills,
identify macroinvertebrates, and test water quality.
Be ready to find salamanders, tadpoles, and more!
KEY: Topic meets/supports
the following NC Education
Standards
Science
ELA
Math
Art
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
Practice categorizing organisms as producers,
consumers, or decomposers and search the woods
for the coolest creatures! After hypothesizing
about which types of organisms they will discover,
participants examine a log habitat and catalog their
findings.
Collaboration &
Communication
Cognitive; Critical Thinking
& Problem-Solving
Healthful Living/Physical
Education
Mental & Emotional Health
6

FIELD TRIPS & OUTREACH
SCIENCE CONNECTION
INHERITANCE & ADAPTATION
Practice close observation to compare inherited
and acquired traits in nature. Through learner-led
learning and play-based activities, participants
explore which traits are inherited, which are
acquired, and what are learned behaviors.
LIVING SYSTEMS
Study how a body system is built - from cell to
organism - and learn how systems work together
within the human body. Equipped with their
imagination and scientific knowledge, participants
will find connections between their bodies and the
natural world.
MATTER
Using nature as a laboratory, experiment with
chemical and physical change, and analyze
quantitative and qualitative data. Participants learn
through play as they embody molecules in the
water cycle! They evaporate to the cloud,
condense with friends, and precipitate back into
the game.
KEY: Topic meets/supports
the following NC Education
Standards
Science
ELA
Math
Art
Collaboration &
Communication
Cognitive; Critical Thinking
& Problem-Solving
Healthful Living/Physical
Education
7
Mental & Emotional Health

SCIENCE CONNECTION
FIELD TRIPS & OUTREACH
FORCES & MOTION
Experience forces & motion through activities that
promote creativity, problem-solving, & the use of
simple machines - like boat building or hanging a
bear bag. Explore concepts like push, pull, friction,
gravity, inertia, momentum, velocity, acceleration,
deceleration, balanced & unbalanced forces.
WEATHER
Participants will use various scientific tools to
measure weather conditions and discover how
weather impacts nature. They’ll collect data on
weather conditions and make predictions using
weather logs, instruments, and compasses.
KEY: Topic meets/supports
the following NC Education
Standards
Science
ELA
Math
FIELD TRIPS FOR PARTNERS & NON-PARTNERS
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
Field Trip For Partners
1 Instructor/12 Participants
Only available with NC Public
School Partnerships
Field Trip For Non-Partners
1 Instructor/Group (max: 20)
Activities may differ due to
larger group sizes.
Art
Collaboration &
Communication
Cognitive; Critical Thinking
& Problem-Solving
Healthful Living/Physical
Education
Mental & Emotional Health
“Muddy Sneakers is another great resource that is well
thought out and aligned with NC Science standards
but also overlaps with other Core subjects like Math
and ELA with their Standards.”
8

FIELD TRIPS & OUTREACH
NATURE CONNECTION
BECOMING A SCIENTIST!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to
become a scientist? We’ll transform into scientists
for the day to investigate the world around us.
Today will surely fuel your curiosity; if we’re lucky,
it will have you questioning everything!
ENVIRONMENTAL
STEWARDSHIP
Did you know forest fires can be good for nature
and that a tiny insect could make entire forests
disappear? Discover the challenges our nearby
ecosystems face and what local scientists, citizens,
and students like YOU are doing to help!
WILDLIFE BIOBLITZ
From songbirds to salamanders, the forests are
overflowing with life! Following our expert
naturalists, we’ll use binoculars and field guides to
discover animals, insects, mushrooms, and more
and complete a Bioblitz scavenger hunt to uncover
the immense biodiversity of North Carolina
ecosystems.
9

NATURE CONNECTION
FIELD TRIPS & OUTREACH
PATTERNS & ART IN NATURE
You’ve heard of Michelangelo, Monet, and Picasso
but have you heard of the artist, Mother Nature?
For millions of years, nature has sculpted the
natural world around us, and now it’s your chance
to discover the art hidden in the forests. Let’s
unleash our creativity and unlock the beauty in the
world around us!
NATURE’S PLAYGROUND
Who needs a swing set when you have the forest!
Skip, hop, and navigate through nature’s
playground as we play games and discover the
adventures that await in our backyards! We’ll focus
on team building, building confidence in the
outdoors, and, most importantly, having fun
without all the toys and gadgets!
NATURE JOURNALING &
MINDFULNESS
There’s more to the forest than what meets the
eye! We’ll engage our five senses to hone our
scientific observation skills, empowering us as
explorers to discover the hidden world of nature.
Let’s reconnect with our surroundings & gain a new
perspective on North Carolina’s natural spaces.
10

VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
FAQs
VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
PROGRAM
LOCATION
Any quiet location with a
reliable internet connection!
GROUP SIZE
Maximum: 25 participants
One adult, responsible for
group management, behavior,
and facilitating participation, is
required.
WHAT ARE VIRTUAL PROGRAMS?
During Virtual Programs, Muddy Sneakers’ certified field instructors
bring virtual, interactive STEM learning adventures to you.
Associated worksheets accompany virtual programs.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Muddy Sneakers specializes in serving 5th-grade students.
However, our programs can be scaled for participants of all ages!
WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING MSLO?
Engaging multi-media, interactive virtual program led by a
Muddy Sneakers instructor.
3
11
1 hour
AVERAGE
DURATION
Participation will be encouraged through activities,
questions, and small group collaboration (if applicable).
We highly encourage groups to perform a “tech check” or
to schedule one with our team prior to the program.

FORCES & MOTION
VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
Forces of Nature: Watch ballooning spiders to see Newton’s
second law of motion (F=ma). Visit a lake & river habitat to
explore forces & motion, motion graphs, and calculate speed.
The Newton Challenge: Working in small teams, participants
are tasked to complete a series of challenges related to force,
motion, friction, speed, gravity, and motion graphs.
WEATHER
Density Experiment: Experiment with density, hypothesize
what happens when water and oil mix, and connect density,
fronts, weather patterns, and maps.
KEY: Topic meets/supports
the following NC Education
Standards
Science
ELA
Math
Art
Collaboration &
Communication
Cognitive; Critical Thinking
& Problem-Solving
Healthful Living/Physical
Education
Weather Wise: Explore wind, clouds, and severe weather.
Participants explore weather instruments and learn how
cricket songs can help estimate the temperature.
LIVING SYSTEMS
Heart of a Whale: Exercise in place to test changes in pulse,
explore the relationship between cardiovascular & respiratory
systems, & compare human hearts to other organisms.
Super Special Systems: Explore the six body systems!
Compare other organisms' structures & functions to humans.
Make observations, draw pictures, and discuss each system.
Mental & Emotional Health
12

VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
INHERITANCE & ADAPTATION
Turtle Quest: Students embark on a quest to explore life as
an eastern box turtle. They design box turtle characters by
choosing inherited and acquired traits, then join an adventure
full of obstacles where the outcome depends on their traits.
Red-Tailed Hawk Family Tree: Participants observe traits of
a red-tailed hawk. They listen to a story read by a red-tailed
hawk while creating the hawk’s family tree. They are tasked
with solving what traits the hawk's siblings could have based
on the previous generation as they explore the concepts of
inherited traits versus acquired traits.
“Muddy Sneakers
[LIVE! Online] has
provided hands-on
learning
opportunities for
students. It has
allowed them to
engage in real-world
application of the
knowledge that they
are learning in the
classroom.”
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
Virtual Log Study: Virtually explore a decomposing log
ecosystem! Practice categorizing discoveries as biotic,
abiotic, producers, consumers, and decomposers. Then,
connect those terms to food chains and the energy pyramid.
Terrestrial Trails: Take a virtual hike to identify abiotic
factors, producers, consumers, and decomposers. Use the
information to model another hike in your physical location,
working in small groups to find organisms (using the printed
organism cards), categorize them, and discuss where they fit
in a food chain and energy pyramid.
KEY: Topic meets/supports
the following NC Education
Standards
Science
ELA
Math
Art
Collaboration &
Communication
Cognitive; Critical Thinking
& Problem-Solving
Healthful Living/Physical
Education
13
Mental & Emotional Health

VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
MATTER
Detail Detective: Observe video of the Great Smoky
Mountains to find evidence of the water cycle. Then, examine
a small natural object to record observations, collect data, and
explore chemical and physical changes.
Matter Mysteries: Listen to a story narrated by an organism
in North Carolina and collect clues to determine what type of
organism tells the story while exploring the water cycle,
chemical changes, and physical changes.
BIOMES & ECOSYSTEM RELATIONSHIPS
Oceans Away: Participants draw and label parts of an aquatic
ecosystem they’ve visited, then travel virtually to the Atlantic
Ocean, Pacific Ocean, & Gulf of Mexico. Videos illustrate the
concepts of predator/prey, survival, & interconnectedness.
KEY: Topic meets/supports
the following NC Education
Standards
Science
ELA
Virtual Aquatics Study: Explore two NC aquatic ecosystems
and determine the water quality of each based on the
organisms present. Participants explore the interactions
between organisms found in both aquatic environments.
Math
Art
Collaboration &
Communication
Cognitive; Critical Thinking
& Problem-Solving
Healthful Living/Physical
Education
Buzzing Numbers: Explore ecosystem relationships involved
with farming (pollination, predators, pests) by role-playing as
farmers! Choose plants to grow & calculate how many bee
hives are needed to pollinate them. Participants face obstacles
& must adjust for resulting losses. This is a math-heavy activity.
Mental & Emotional Health
14

SCIENCE CURRICULUM
Supplemental 5th Grade Science Curriculum
EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW!
PACKAGE INCLUDES:
90+ ready-to-use supplemental lesson plans
6 topic modules cover all NC Essential Standards for 5th
Grade Science
Cross-curricular activities address ELA, Math, Social Studies,
and Visual Arts standards through science concepts
Professional videos of Muddy Sneakers instructors
demonstrating experiments
Accessible design ensures lessons work with adaptive
technology
Navigation aids make it easy to choose lessons for:
Indoor or outdoor teaching
Specific learning styles
Cross-curricular standards
Asynchronous instruction with or without internet
Substitute teacher lesson plans
Pacing and scaffolding
Homework activities
EOG TEST PREP
Prior to end-of-grade testing, a Muddy Sneakers Field Instructor
leads students in a dynamic review of the NC Essential Standards
for 5th Grade Science, leaving them feeling confident & prepared.
Scan to access a preview
of the lesson plans.
“The [Classroom
Connection] is an
excellent resource to
add in with the current
material I am using. . . I
love the idea of using
some of the lessons as
homework...”
GROUP SIZE
Maximum: 20 participants
(1 class)
Inquire about discounts
for additional classes
PROGRAM
LOCATION
Virtual or in person
1 hour
AVERAGE
DURATION
Included with a Full Partnership. Book Now!
15

NC Public Schools Only
PARTNERSHIP OVERVIEW
Muddy Sneakers’ annual partnerships with North Carolina’s 5thgrade
public school classrooms enliven & enhance the teaching
and learning of North Carolina Science Essential Standards.
Click here to see additional program benefits identified by NC State University researchers.
Partnership Benefits
All partners receive:
Proven improvements in students’
academic performance
behavior
social-emotional wellness
Activities aligned to NC Essential
Standards for Science
1:12 Instructor-to-student ratio during
field trips
On-call teacher coaching/consultation
School STEM event support
Subsidized rates
Access to NC State University’s annual
Muddy Sneakers program evaluation
2024 – 2025 TIMELINE
March 18 - April 30: Open enrollment for
returning partners.
May 1 - June 30: Open enrollment for waitlisted
and new partners.
Partnership Levels
BASIC PARTNERSHIP
4 Field Trips
3 Field Trips
1 Outreach Program
6 Science Curriculum Modules
FULL PARTNERSHIP
6 Field Trips
4 Field Trips
2 Outreach Programs
2 Virtual Programs
6 Science Curriculum Modules
1 EOG Test Prep
Priority Scheduling
Grant-writing support
July 31: Partnership enrollment closes.
*A limited number of subsidized partnerships are available and are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
**A signed contract and a $200 non-refundable deposit are required to secure the subsidized rate.
SUBSIDIZED PARTNERSHIPS MUST BE SECURED PRIOR TO THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
16

LET’S GET STARTED!
NC PUBLIC SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS
BASIC
FULL
FIELD TRIPS 3 4
OUTREACH PROGRAMS 1 2
VIRTUAL PROGRAMS 2
SCIENCE CURRICULUM
ON-CALL TEACHER COACHING
EOG TEST PREP
ACCESS TO NC STATE DATA
PRIORITY SCHEDULING
GRANT WRITING SUPPORT
FEE/STUDENT $350 $500
*SUBSIDIZED FEE/STUDENT $90 $150
*A limited number of subsidized partnerships are available. Returning partners receive the first right of refusal during priority enrollment
(through May 1). After that time, subsidized partnerships are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Partnerships include associated administrative and planning expenses. Muddy Sneakers covers the majority of these costs through our
fundraising efforts.
FIELD TRIP/OUTREACH
CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE
Fee Per Person (10 min)
All programs are subject to availability; restrictions may apply.
LONG DISTANCE FEE: Programs outside of our geographic
operating area are available, but are subject to additional fees.
$25 VIRTUAL PROGRAM
EOG TEST PREP
SCIENCE CURRICULUM
ON-CALL TEACHER COACHING
Inquire about discounts for additional classes
Complete a Program Interest Form
Fee Per Group (20 max - 1 class)
$250
$250
$75
$35/mo | $275/yr
17
P.O. Box 10971, Raleigh, NC 27605
828-862-5560 info@muddysneakers.org muddysneakers.org