Muddy Creek Charter School

General information

Place-Based Learning

The place-based learning methods employed at Muddy Creek Charter School have been designed to stimulate student engagement and achievement. In place-based programs, students directly experience what they learn in a familiar context. Their capacity to understand and communicate the subject matter increases. Studies of schools adopting social, cultural and natural features of local environments as the context for academic subjects report that students act more independently and responsibly, display more pride in and ownership of their educational accomplishments, exhibit improved discipline and self control and academically outperform their traditionally instructed peers.

At the heart of MCCS place-based learning is use of the agricultural and rural area, including farms, forests and a wildlife refuge in the Muddy Creek watershed as part of the larger classroom. The agricultural landscape, including tree farms, grass seed farms, orchards, grazing lands, streams, ponds, wildlife refuge and national forests of the Muddy Creek watershed are the places about which projects are developed. Students are directly connected to their surroundings and community.

Place-based learning is distinctive in that it:

1. emerges from the particular attributes of a place. The content is specific to the geography, ecology, sociology, politics and other dynamics of that place
2. is inherently multidisciplinary and experiential
3. connects place with self and community. Curricula include multi-generational and multicultural dimensions as they interface with community resources.
4. is a starting point with all the senses and experiences to bring students along the path of global awareness
5. has been linked with higher academic performance.