The Film tells the story of Vin Shambry, a Black 12-year old boy in Portland, Oregon in 1994. Homeless, Vin sleeps under a tree in the park with his mother and baby sister, by day palling around with his school-yard friend, daughter of a famous shoe designer. Vin's 6th-grade class embarks on an educational coming-of-age adventure known as Outdoor School. Reluctant to leave his family, Vin goes on the trip, where his worldview is transformed by nature and caring adults. For the first time, he learns what it means to be a kid. He faces the dilemma of sacrificing his only pair of sneakers, his prized Deon Sanders Nikes in order to help his team win in tug of war. Ultimately, Vin navigates the tension between his family life and the great outdoors while masking his poverty at all costs to protect himself and the people he loves.