Physical education teachers encouraged to apply for fishing and boating grants

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — One of the ways the Future Fisherman Foundation aims to reconnect today’s youth with the outdoors and nature is through the Physh Ed National Fishing and Boating Grants Initiative.

Physh Ed provides grants to kindergarten through grade 12 teachers to implement fishing and boating units in their physical education (PE) classes. For the 2008/2009 school year, the Foundation is offering individual grants of $2,500 to qualified PE teachers.

Grant monies can be used for fishing and boating equipment, field trips, curriculum materials and other resources to assist instructors in carrying out fishing, boating and conservation education. Grant recipients also receive an intense week of training in fishing and boating techniques.

“Physh Ed is an excellent way for school-aged youth to gain hands-on experiences with fishing and boating activities they can enjoy for a lifetime,” Anne Danielski, acting executive director of the Future Fisherman Foundation, said. “The school environment encourages the integration of the hands-on elements that fishing and boating lessons offer into other subject areas such as science and math.”

The Physh Ed program is a partnership between the Foundation and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF). Since 2004, the Foundation has awarded over $1,000,000 in grant funds to public, private and chartered institutions introducing over 48,000 students in 39 states to fishing and boating. The goal for the upcoming school year is to engage over 10,000 students nationwide in fishing and boating activities.

“Changing social patterns mean that we must find new ways to introduce kids to boating and fishing,” Frank Peterson, RBFF’s president and CEO, said. “The Physh Ed program, which lets physical education teachers integrate boating and fishing activities into their curriculum, is one of many things we’re doing to foster youth participation in the sport.”

Applications must be received electronically via email on or before Monday, January 21, 2008, at 5:00 p.m. EST. To obtain grant application forms or for more information on the Physh Ed National Fishing and Boating Grants Initiative and other angler education programs and services, please visit www.futurefisherman.org or contact Acting Executive Director Anne Danielski at [email protected] or 703-519-9691, extension 254.

All applicants will be notified of the status of their grant applications by March 30, 2008. The Future Fisherman Foundation and the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation provide a wealth of information on where to fish and boat, how to get started, how to obtain a fishing license and local fishing and boating regulations on their respective websites. For more information please visit www.futurefisherman.org and www.takemefishing.org.