Wildlife and nature

Animal shelters and rescues

Theater and dance

Rivers, parks and trails

Hunger and food

Schools and learning

Housing and homelessness

Community health

Mental health

Mentoring and foster care

Legal help and rights

Jobs and money help

Atlanta

The Triangle

Everywhere

The Collective Workshop

Royal Animal Refuge

Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta

Georgia Advancing Communities Together

Atlanta Writers Club

Cobb Collaborative

Bosleys Place

Jewish Fertility Foundation

Casey Therrien

Erica Brown

Ashley Morris

Emanuel Aragon Cruz

Erika Davis

Jaclyn Rodriguez

Katia Griffin-Jakymec

LaToya Skinner

Eden Simmons

Gwynne Stump

Lucy Carte

Melody Hollinger

Sienna Rutledge

Stella Sophia

Programs

Long reads

About

Muddy Sneakers is hiring! We are seeking an experienced and mission-driven Executive Director to lead Muddy Sneakers into its next chapter. This is an exciting opportunity for a collaborative nonprofit leader who is passionate about outdoor education, youth development, and connecting children to the natural world. The Executive Director will provide strategic leadership, support our dedicated team, cultivate community partnerships, and help advance our mission and long-term growth. If you are a strategic thinker, relationship builder, and committed leader who believes in the power of outdoor learning, we encourage you to learn more about this opportunity. 📍 Location: North Carolina, with Triangle/Triad preferred 💼 Position: Full-time, remote/hybrid Know someone who might be a great fit? Please share this post with your network. Learn more and apply through the link in our bio. #MuddySneakers #NowHiring #ExecutiveDirector #NonprofitLeadership #OutdoorEducation #EnvironmentalEducation #NorthCarolinaJobs

🌱 Time well spent outside 💚 Thank you for celebrating with us at the @peancorg Earth Day Fair, @raleighdowntown Earth Day, and Wild Ideas Event by @trianglelandconservancy! We loved seeing your curiosity, your excitement, and your love for the environment. 🌎✨ Drop a 🌿 if we saw you there!

Trade the boardroom for the forest. 🌲✨ Introducing Nature at Work: an outdoor team experience where colleagues connect through hands-on science, exploration, and time in nature. Whether you're planning a team retreat, employee family day, or looking for a meaningful way to give back, every Nature at Work experience helps more North Carolina students connect with science, nature, and each other. Ready to take your team outside? 🌿 Link in bio to learn more! #NatureAtWork #MuddySneakers #TeamBuilding #OutdoorLearning #EmployeeEngagement #CorporateGiving #NorthCarolina #Leadership #GetOutside

🏒🌿 A Game Changer for Muddy Sneakers! Yesterday, we visited Lenovo Center to receive our $20,000 Game Changer grant from the @canes! On behalf of the thousands of students we serve across North Carolina, thank you to the Hurricanes for investing in outdoor science education. 💚 Sometimes, learning outside the classroom makes all the difference. With support like this, we can help more students build confidence, curiosity, and a love of learning! Thank you, Carolina Hurricanes, for helping make these experiences possible! 🌎🔬 #MuddySneakers #CarolinaHurricanes #GameChanger #OutdoorEducation #HandsOnLearning

🌿 Love teaching? Love the outdoors? Why not combine both? Muddy Sneakers is hiring Educators in both the Piedmont and Mountains regions of North Carolina! If you're passionate about helping students discover science through hands-on outdoor learning, we'd love to hear from you. Join a team that's inspiring curiosity, building confidence, and connecting kids with the natural world every day. Explore our current openings and apply today through the link in our bio!

🌎 On May 16, supporters of Muddy Sneakers gathered at Gwynn Valley Camp for an evening of gratitude, connection, and celebration. ⭐

Safety First at Muddy Sneakers! 🌿 Our Piedmont educators, Stella Sofia and Lucy Carte, recently completed CPR, AED, and Wilderness First Aid training at Davidson College, led by experienced instructors from Landmark Learning in partnership with NOLS. Over 19 hours of hands-on instruction, they learned essential skills for responding to medical emergencies, from injuries and illness to evacuation planning. Their certifications are valid through October 2028, helping ensure they’re prepared to keep themselves, our students, and adult chaperones safe during outdoor adventures! We’re proud of Stella and Lucy for investing in their skills and helping make outdoor learning both meaningful and safe! 💚 #MuddySneakers #OutdoorEducation #WildernessFirstAid #SafetyFirst

🦋 Nature Find Friday: Definite Tussock Moth Caterpillar! 🌿 🧐 What it is: This fuzzy little caterpillar is a definite tussock moth caterpillar (Orgyia definita). With its bright yellow tufts, dark markings, and long hairs, it certainly knows how to stand out in the forest! 🌳 Did you know? These caterpillars feed on a variety of trees and shrubs, helping move energy through the food web as they grow. Their distinctive tufts and hairs also provide some protection from predators. ⚠️ Look, but don’t touch! Like many tussock moth caterpillars, their hairs can cause skin irritation, so it’s best to admire them from a distance. 🔍 Nature challenge: Have you ever spotted a fuzzy caterpillar like this one? Take a closer look next time you’re outside. You might be surprised by how many different caterpillars are hiding in plain sight! 🐛💚 #NatureFindFriday #MuddySneakers #NatureEducation #OutdoorLearning #Caterpillar #TussockMoth #NatureExploration #GetOutside

Who are Muddy Sneakers Annual Partnerships for? ✅ Elementary schools looking to enhance science instruction ✅ Districts prioritizing experiential and outdoor learning (ask about our school-district discount!) ✅ Educators seeking meaningful, standards-aligned field experiences Check out the map to see where our programs take place: https://muddysneakers.org/programs/program-locations/ Schools outside these counties may still be eligible to participate. (Please note: long-distance travel fees and restrictions may apply.) Contact us to discuss options!

🌿 Educator Spotlight: Eden Simmons! 🥾 For Eden, a love of nature started close to home. Growing up in the mountains of Western North Carolina, she developed a deep appreciation for the region’s forests, wildlife, and incredible biodiversity. That passion led her to earn a degree in ecology from @unc_asheville and eventually find her place at Muddy Sneakers! Today, Eden brings her love of science and the outdoors to students, helping them ask questions, make observations, and discover the natural world for themselves. 🔍 Her goal is to inspire the next generation of curious explorers and help students build their own connections to nature. Want to learn more about Eden and her journey with Muddy Sneakers? Visit her educator bio! 🌱 🔗 Read Eden’s Bio by clicking on our link! #MuddySneakers #MeetOurEducators #OutdoorEducation #NatureEducation

🌿 Textbooks introduce scientific ideas. Outdoor experiences bring them to life. When students engage directly with nature, learning becomes more meaningful, memorable, and relevant.

🔍 What do curiosity, hands-on learning, and the scientific process have in common? They’re all part of learning with Muddy Sneakers! 🌿 We use an inquiry-based approach that encourages students to ask questions, investigate, analyze data, and discover answers for themselves. 🧪 During our Matter program, students put this approach into action by building nests to explore conductors and insulators. Using a cup of hot water as their “egg,” students observe changes in temperature to discover which materials do the best job of keeping their nests warm. 🥚🌡️ By making observations and drawing their own conclusions, students aren’t just learning science concepts. They’re thinking like scientists! What would you use to build a nest that keeps an egg warm? Share your ideas in the comments! 👇 #MuddySneakers #OutdoorEducation #ScienceEducation #InquiryBasedLearning #HandsOnLearning

Science Is Better When Students Can Touch It 🖐️ Reading about ecosystems is important, but exploring one in person creates unforgettable learning. 🌎 Students who investigate streams, forests, and fields develop observation skills while building confidence in science. Outdoor learning encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and curiosity every step of the way. Those are skills that benefit students far beyond the classroom. 🌱 What hands-on activity gets your students the most excited? #Science #ScienceinNature #Outdoors #OutdoorLearning #Parks #Nature

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Science Is Better When Students Can Touch It 🖐️ Reading about ecosystems is important, but exploring one in person creates unforgettable learning.