Press Releases

Three Youth-Focused Organizations Receive Education Grants from RBFF
Grants Will Allow Thousands of Kids across the Nation to Engage in Boating, Fishing & Conservation

ALEXANDRIA, VA (July 26, 2011) – Three national boating, fishing and conservation organizations that serve kids and families are the recipients of new education grants from the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF). The organizations – the Future Fisherman Foundation, the International Game Fish Association and the National Recreation & Park Association – were awarded the grants as part of RBFF’s ongoing boating and fishing educational outreach and youth engagement efforts.

“The three grantees are among the most dedicated organizations in the U.S. to the mission of inspiring young people to get outdoors and conserve our natural resources,” said RBFF Education Task Force Chairman Lynne Borden. “The Education Task Force knows that each organization will make full use of the grants as they develop opportunities to educate and engage with a whole new generation of outdoor enthusiasts who honor the angling and boating tradition.”

The FY 2012 National Youth Fishing & Boating Initiative grant recipients include:

• Future Fisherman Foundation – Develops and directs national instructor trainings to assist state aquatic-education partners, parks-and-recreation professionals, community civic organizations and school teachers in acquiring hands-on training to implement fishing and aquatic-conservation education with their students.
• International Game Fish Association (IGFA) – Provides students and teachers with a variety of activities including fishing clinics, live touch tank demonstrations, safe boating practices, casting, rigging and knot-tying demonstrations. IGFA has firmly established its Outreach Education Program in Florida and will continue to expand the program to other states.
• National Recreation & Park Association (NRPA) – Brings resources to local communities through its park and recreation facilities across the country to ensure the future for active, healthy youth engaged in sport and the outdoors. NRPA will continue to expand its Take Me Fishing™ Initiative that builds and sustains fishing and boating programs with a focus on conservation.

“Last year, RBFF made it our goal to focus on expanding youth outreach efforts, and we are building on that effort again this year,” said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. “By 2013, we want to engage with one million young people and their families each year in boating, fishing, and conservation activity. These education grants, along with our “Explore the Blue” campaign in partnership with Discovery Education, our Scouting Patch Program and participation in the Outdoor Nation youth movement, will go a long way in contributing to our goal.”

A key requirement of RBFF’s National Youth Fishing & Boating Initiative, which awards education grants annually, includes introducing boating and fishing to minorities and underserved communities. Special consideration is given to programs that offer multiple on-the-water learning opportunities, encourage long-term involvement of participants, provide training for instructors, promote conservation and support existing RBFF partnerships.

Since 2007, RBFF’s youth initiatives have engaged 1.51 million young people. For more information about RBFF’s education grant opportunities, visit RBFF.org.

About RBFF
RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating, thereby protecting and restoring the nation’s aquatic natural resources. RBFF helps people discover, share and protect the legacy of boating and fishing through national outreach programs including the Take Me Fishing™ campaign and Anglers’ Legacy™.

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