Snowshoe Hikes
Wintertime Experiences for Local 4th Graders
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore offers snowshoe field trips for fourth-grade classes in the months of January, February, and March. Students learn about winter ecology and snow science in a hands-on way while hiking on modern snowshoes.
Funding snowshoe adventure opportunities.
The Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes and the National Lakeshore seek annual grants to provide for educational snowshoe programs each winter. The Friends allocate the funds to individual schools based on their interests and needs, including bus transportation, and additional snowshoes, hats, mittens, and art supplies if needed.
In 2018 and 2019, the National Park Foundation provided grants that supported bus transportation. According to the president of NPF, “these grants are planting the seeds for lifelong relationships with national parks and their programs,” said Will Shafroth. “These children are forever impacted. We appreciate the power of national parks and, through our support, the National Park Foundation hopes to share them with as many kids as possible.”
Between 1,400 and 1,500 students have attended the snowshoe program in recent years. The snowshoe program targets fourth-grade classes based on curriculum, but other classes are also allowed to participate when there is availability on the yearly schedule.
For teachers, pre-visit activities were developed to use with students to help build background knowledge and create excitement for the hike. The lesson during the hike allows students to explore concepts in winter ecology and snow science. Post-visit activities are designed to extend learning and to give students the opportunity to be creative and to connect learning to the real world. Lessons are designed to work together, yet can be used in a mix and match way based on student interest and needs.