Announcing Coastal Expansion 2019-2020 WHO WE ARE Muddy Sneakers - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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

• awaken in children a deeply felt

connection with the natural world —

• ne 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

• Schoolyards
• State parks
• State forests
• National forests
• County parks
• Privately owned

protected properties We use sites within 30-45 minutes of partnering schools as outdoor classrooms:

HOW IT WORKS

• Muddy Sneakers employs local, highly

qualified science educators who are passionate about teaching and the outdoors.

• Instructors spend each

day engaging students in outdoor science learning framed around a different topic of the NC Essential Standards for Science.

• Partnering schools commit to 6 to 10 full-day

learning expeditions during the school year.

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

* Map does not reflect county added midyear: Madison

2007-present Home/Field office: Brevard 1,523 students 25 schools 11 counties 12 districts

OUR REACH

Piedmont North Carolina

* Map does not reflect counties added midyear: Anson and Guilford

2016-present Field office: Salisbury 1,350 students 18 schools 6 counties 6 districts

OUR REACH

Total enrollment 2018-2019

2,873 students 43 schools 17 counties 18 districts 16,597 student days in the field

COASTAL EXPANSION

Field office: New Bern (tentative) Initially looking to serve: 800-1,000 students from a seven-county area Prospective launch: 2019-2020 school year

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

• We are the core “S” in STEM,
• ffering early experiential

science lessons that lay the foundation for continued love

• f inquiry.
• We prepare students for more

advanced STEM instruction to follow.

• 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.

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!

Home Office 828-862-5560 P .O. Box 146 Brevard, NC 28712

Elise Tellez

elise@muddysneakers.org

Lindsay Green

lindsay@muddysneakers.org www.muddysneakers.org