Boys & Girls Club Partnership
“The
retreat indoors for many American children has environmental
advocates worried that children who grow up without memories
of fishing in a local stream or hiking through idyllic
woods might become adults for whom conserving the environment
isn’t a priority”.
Kim Krisberg The Nation’s Health 2007
The
Future Fisherman Foundation is taking dramatic steps to grow
angling participation through a unique partnership with the
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and local Boys & Girls
Clubs throughout the United States. Under its agreement with
DOJ, through the Law Enforcement and Youth Partnerships for
Crime Prevention Initiative (LEYCP), the Foundation engages
local law enforcement and local club leaders to work in tandem
to teach angling skills to young people in participating
Boys & Girls Clubs. Utilizing the Foundation’s
Hooked on Fishing Not on Drugs® (HOFNOD) fishing education
curriculum, youth have the chance to learn angling skills,
reinforce personal development and positive life skills and
to connect with nature.
The
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau
of Justice Assistance along with an array of national organization
and law enforcement partners developed the Law Enforcement
and Youth Partnerships for Crime Prevention Initiative to
provide seed money to local organizations for innovative
crime prevention programs. These programs focus on
engaging youth in positive activities that collaborate with
and support local law enforcement efforts to help prevent
crime in America by strengthening relationships between youth
and law enforcement.
The
Foundations’ involvement in the LEYCP initiativeprovides
access and opportunities for children in urban areas that
would otherwise not exist. Through this unique partnership,
the Foundation is able to deliver important life lessons;
necessary social development skills and to provide a meaningful
introduction to the lifelong pursuit of the great American
pastime of fishing.
How Can You Get Involved?
- Connect
with your local Boys & Girls Club.
If
they’re fishing help them out through a donation of
money/time/resources. If they’re not, offer to help
begin a program (we’ll be happy to help too!)
- Support
the efforts of the Future Fisherman Foundation.
Help
support our efforts by donating your time or resources
or by making a contribution to help enable youth angling
programs all across the country!
Get
Involved! Help to Ensure the Future of Fishing!
"Play
in nature, particularly during the critical period of middle
childhood, appears to be an especially important time for
developing the capacities for creativity, problem-solving,
and emotional and intellectual development." Stephen
Kellert “Nature and Childhood Development 2005.
