The TurfMutt Foundation Offers Free Curriculum to Combat Kids' "Summer Slide"
Foundation encourages STEM learning at home & in public parks this summer
LOUISVILLE, Ky., June 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As the final bell rings at schools across the country, the TurfMutt Foundation offers its free environmental educational resources to parents, educators and caregivers to help combat summer learning loss (a.k.a. "summer slide"). The Foundation's lesson plans feature the popular TurfMutt cartoon characters to teach kids in grades K-8 about STEM concepts.
"Summer months are crucial for kids' academic success," says Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation, which has advocated for the use and care of green spaces for over 15 years. "By exploring the outdoors and learning about nature – through our curriculum and in the green space around us – kids can continue to develop critical thinking skills and retain knowledge in a fun way."
The PlayPort at award-winning Waterfront Park, which is also home of the TurfMutt Great Lawn, serves as an example of a dynamic outdoor learning environment in public green space. The PlayPort pays homage to the Ohio River's rich cultural and industrial heritage with authentic artifacts converted to play structures and plenty of green space surrounding the playground for kids to explore.
"Children are naturally curious, and places like the PlayPort provide a hands-on way for them to observe, experiment, and understand the world around them, reinforcing the principles taught in our curriculum," says Kiser. "It's the power of parks in action."
The TurfMutt curriculum is designed for students in grades K-8 and includes a variety of resources that can be integrated into summer camps, home-based learning activities, and community programs. Download the TurfMutt lesson plans here or on the USGBC Learning Lab.
Check out the TurfMutt Foundation's International Backyarding Fact Book to learn more about the power of parks and other green space around us.
Sign up for Mutt Mail, a monthly e-newsletter with "backyarding" tips and all the news from the TurfMutt Foundation here.
Look for Mulligan the TurfMutt on the CBS Lucky Dog television and Mission Unstoppable shows on Saturday mornings.
Media contact
Debbi Mayster, Four Leaf PR on behalf of the TurfMutt Foundation, 240-988-6243, debbi@fourleafpr.com
About the TurfMutt Foundation
TurfMutt, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024, was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute's (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators and families since 2009. Championed by Foundation spokesdog, Mulligan the TurfMutt, and through education partners such as Scholastic, Discovery and Weekly Reader, TurfMutt has taught students and teachers how to "save the planet, one yard at a time." Today, TurfMutt is an official USGBC® Education Partner and part of their global LEARNING LAB. TurfMutt has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education's Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. TurfMutt's personal home habitat was featured in the 2017-2020 Wildlife Habitat Council calendars. In 2024, the Great Lawn at Louisville's award-winning Waterfront Park on the Ohio River was renamed the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn as part of a $1 million sponsorship. More information at www.TurfMutt.com.
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SOURCE TurfMutt Foundation