Mountain Roots FAQ!

Here at Mountain Roots, we try to provide as much information as we can on our websites and promotional materials to answer all the questions you might have about our camps, educational programs, and the non-profit itself. This ties into who we are as educators – providing you with the information you need to be successful in any endeavor! However, we know there might sometimes be a question or two that we haven’t covered so that’s why this blog post is all about Mountain Roots FAQ! If there are any questions you still have about Mountain Roots that aren’t covered on our website or this blog post, feel free to reach out to us. 

• Where does Mountain Roots teach their programs? 

Mountain Roots has been all over Transylvania and Henderson counties with our programs. In Transylvania county, we are proud to be part of the yearly curriculum at Brevard Academy and we teach classes there on Wednesdays and Thursdays every week. We also provide outreach programs to Brevard Elementary, Pisgah Forest Elementary, T.C. Henderson Elementary, Rosman Elementary, and the Davidson River School. In Henderson county, we have provided programming to FernLeaf Community Charter School.

In 2020 we will also be offering programs at The Mountain Community School in Henderson County, the Family Place in Brevard and Rosman, Brevard Middle School, Rosman Middle School, and Rise & Shine in Brevard. We love finding opportunities to expand our programming into new schools and organizations!

• What kind of programs do you teach? 

Mountain Roots teaches hands-on outdoor learning experiences that connect K-8 students to the outdoor spaces in their backyards. Our programs provide intentional opportunities for students to learn in an experiential way during their school day.  Our interdisciplinary curriculum enhances classroom learning and incorporates exploration and active play into every lesson.

We partner with schools to design the best experience possible for them. Schools choose which grades they’d like us to work with, how many hour-long lessons they’d like to integrate into their school year, and which lessons best fit their school’s needs.

• What grades are your programs suited for? 

We typically offer programming for grades K-8 but we can always create a Teams, Leadership, and Character development (TLC) program for high schoolers! 

• Do you have your own outdoor education center? 

We do not! Our programs can be taught anywhere there’s a little bit of outdoor space (or indoor space, since outdoor ed sometimes becomes indoor ed in the rain and cold). This model allows us to travel from school to school and still provide high quality lessons with just a few props. We love being able to take the kids outside and have them explore the land that’s right on their school property! 

• How do you fund your programs? 

Grants, grants, and more grants. Running a non-profit is all about finding the right grants, private donors, and corporate sponsors in order to fund our programs and help us expand into new schools. Our outreach programs such as the ones we teach in schools like Brevard Elementary or TC Henderson are completely free to the schools as they are grant and donor funded. 

• How do you create the programs for schools? 

We align our programs with the state science standards for each grade. For example, we have a program specifically for 3rd grade that focuses on forces and motion as that is a very specific part of the NC state standards for the grade. 

• Is there a way for my child to be involved in the summer? 

Absolutely! Mountain Roots offers 7 weeks of both full- and half-day camp. Our half-day camp is for children ages 4-5 and our full-day camp is for rising 1st through 5th grade. Both of our camps are focused on the outdoors and connecting campers to each other, their community, and the natural environment. Rising 7th-9th graders can volunteer as our Roots Crew: counselors-in-training who are interested in making a difference in the lives of younger kids. Our days are filled with science, arts, music, community-building, and, of course, getting outside. Check out our website for more information on dates, prices, and locations of camp.

We hope these FAQ answered some burning questions you may have had about how we operate here at Mountain Roots. We always welcome feedback, questions, and comments about any of our programs!