Muddy Sneakers

For Parents

Information for Parents/Guardians on the Muddy Sneakers Program,
A Part of the 5th Grade Academic Curriculum

What is Muddy Sneakers?
Muddy Sneakers: The Joy of Learning Outside is a non-profit organization based in Brevard, NC that partners with public schools to provide outdoor Science education that is a regular feature of students’ fifth grade year. Muddy Sneakers offers 12 hands-on Learning Expeditions that directly correlate to the 5th grade NC Science Standard Course of Study objectives. The mission of Muddy Sneakers is to awaken in school children a deeply felt connection with the natural world, one that inspires curiosity, stimulates learning, and brings new life to classroom performance.

Who Teaches The Learning Expeditions?
While their classroom teachers accompany them into the woods, students are taught in small groups of no more than 12 students per instructor by qualified, trained, and safety-minded Muddy Sneakers field instructors. Muddy Sneakers field instructors have diverse professional backgrounds in botany, geology, meteorology, and biology; all have a rich history and passion for working with students in the outdoors. All field instructors are Wilderness First Aid and Child and Adult CPR certified. You can learn more about them at www.muddysneakers.org.

Where Do The Learning Expeditions Take Place?
Students spend the day hiking and studying topics they will be tested on during their Science EOG’s in natural areas near their school. Some of these areas include Bent Creek Experimental Forest, DuPont State Forest, Carl Sandburg Home, Gorges State Park, Lake James, and Pisgah National Forest. An effort is made to keep bus drive time and mileage to a minimum.

Is Muddy Sneakers a Beneficial Program?
In the 2008-09 school year, participating Muddy Sneakers students saw an average 23.8 percent increase in their Science End of Grade test over the previous school year. This increase is significantly higher than the average among non-Muddy Sneakers schools

How can I get involved as a parent?
• Muddy Sneakers and your child’s school welcome parent chaperones on Muddy Sneakers Learning Expeditions. You are encouraged to contact your child’s teacher to find out the schedule of Muddy Sneakers outings and to join your child to learn about Science and hike through local natural areas. If you have questions specific to Muddy Sneakers, you can email them at info@muddysneakers.org.
• Invite Muddy Sneakers to present to a community organization you’re involved in. We appreciate the opportunity to share what the program is doing, and to garner community support in all forms.
• Become a friend of Muddy Sneakers on Facebook!
• Check out Muddy Sneakers online at www.muddysneakers.org and tell others to check us out too!
• Use Good Search as your online search engine. www.goodsearch.com is a Google-powered search engine that donates one penny to the cause of your choice (just type in Muddy Sneakers) whenever you do an online search.

Our aim is to ensure that school children in our mountains develop a lifelong love of nature as a woven-in part of their standard course of study.

You can easily reference the diverse kinds of Muddy Sneaker subjects offered as part of your child’s field experiences by viewing our curriculum. We sincerely hope you will add to these explorations by listening to your child’s stories and enthusiasms and by extending discovery to your own backyard and your own neighborhood. Moreover, we warmly invite you to join us on a Muddy Sneaker day as an in-field volunteer!

Cradle of Forestry

If you’re interested in ways you can get your child and your family outdoors and learning more, the Cradle of Forestry in America has a great “Nature-Oriented Parenting Newsletter.”  Click the Cradle link to read published issues and get ideas on encouraging your child to connect more with his or her natural surroundings.

We hope you’ll join us in the field on a Muddy Sneakers day!  Here’s some information that might be helpful to you:

What to Bring on a Muddy Sneakers Learning Expedition

Please note: Students will share a Muddy Sneakers backpack with a partner. The packs are small, so it helps to have one student empty his or her backpack to help carry what will not fit in the Muddy Sneakers backpack. The Muddy Sneakers pack contains two compasses, a magnifying glass, sitting pads, maps, and other supplies relevant to the topic students are studying on any given day.

Every Muddy Sneaker student, teacher, parent, and chaperone should bring:

  • A lunch, preferably without lots of packaging since you’ll have to carry your garbage
  • Two bottles of water
  • A rain poncho or waterproof rain jacket
  • A warm jacket/sweatshirt, no matter the weather
  • Comfortable walking shoes
  • A “Field Journal Kit” – consisting of a small notebook and pen or pencil in a ziplock baggie. This Field Kit should come into the field each time a student goes on a Muddy Sneakers Learning Expedition.
  • A smile and eagerness to be outdoors all day!

Please do not bring:

  • Cell phone, iPods, or anything electronic
  • Flip flops
  • Fishing gear
  • Dogs or other pets
  • Soda
  • Gum

Suggestions from Muddy Sneakers field instructors:

Wearing clothes that dry quickly (not cotton clothing) often makes being outdoors more fun. Wind pants or synthetic “running/warm-up pants” are great.

Only bring what’s on the list of things to bring; carrying extra stuff throughout the day will make your pack heavier.