Press release from Muddy Sneakers:
Brevard native Rachel Broadbent has been tapped as the Development Director for Muddy Sneakers, an organization originally founded in Transylvania County that has grown to serve 1,300 students in six counties of Western North Carolina and an additional 350 students across two Upstate SC counties. Broadbent will be the first person to hold this new role, a position that was made possible by a generous grant from a private family foundation.
Broadbent holds an MBA from Clemson University and brings a wealth of business and marketing experience, along with a sincere love of the community and a passion for the outdoors. She was drawn to the organization’s emphasis on using natural spaces and protected lands as outdoor classrooms.
Muddy Sneakers is an experiential science education program that works in partnership with public school fifth grade classrooms, bringing experienced naturalists to teach state-mandated core curriculum in state parks, national forests, and other protected lands. Students are guaranteed a minimum of six full-day learning expeditions during the school year, taking them to places like DuPont State Recreational Forest, Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, NC State Parks including Gorges, Chimney Rock and Lake James, The Carl Sandburg National Historic Site among many other public and private natural spaces.
“The mission of Muddy Sneakers really speaks to me,” says Broadbent. “I am truly humbled to be able to bring the joy of learning outside to as many students as possible.”
Broadbent takes the chief development role at a pivotal time in the organization’s history. Last month, Muddy Sneakers announced that the organization had received significant state funding to support expansion to serve more public school students in the WNC region as well as a significant expansion into the Piedmont region. The $500,000 allocation will bring Muddy Sneakers to new areas, demonstrating program scalability that can hopefully be replicated across the state.
“This state support means so much, but we can’t rest on our laurels,” says Ryan Olson, Executive Director of Muddy Sneakers. “Our model is based on community investment covering part of the cost of student programming. Now more than ever, we need to build support to make sure our growth is sustainable.”
This kind of community engagement is at the heart of Broadbent’s core responsibilities. She’ll be tasked with building a network of support in each county that Muddy Sneakers works, growing the funding base and raising awareness of the need for school-based environmental education.
To learn more about Muddy Sneakers, visit www.muddysneakers.org.
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