Phys Ed. Fisherman Unite

[Scott M]

Ok Dietz,

Now that I have your attention:

Released by the American Sportfishing Association

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.

[DonBo]

Awsome plan. I am not a teacher, but if you need my boat and fishing knowledge, count me in!

[lookincalifornia]

my gym teacher started a fishng club in 92. she has done alot to bring the outdoors to teens of forest city, ia.

she got alot of kids into ice fishing and open water as well. heck, we went ice fishing in class as a field trip. there was a couple of open water hour trips also. i remember the look when our point gaurd, a non-fisherman, hooked into about a 3-4 pound northern. he was pretty excited.

[muc33]

My father is an elementary Phy Ed teacher, I will surely pass this info on to him!!!!! Man if only I could have done this stuff as a kid in school!!!

[Deitz Dittrich]

Thanks for the information.. I'll Look into it.

[picksbigwagon]

awesome, I teach elem. PE and I do an afterschool class. This fall I took 23 kids (ages K-5th grade) fishing in the park next to our school. I spent 45 minutes baiting hooks for 23 kids.....we caught about 45 sunnies and small crappies in that short bit of time.....

I will definately look into this grant.

[frummybear]

I am a middle school PE teacher in AZ. I will be applying for the grant this is great for kids to open up different hobbies in their life. I will be moving back to MN once I get enough experience and than will apply for the grant every year!!

[woodman]

Now that is what I am talking about, instead of using my classroom budget and begging for donations, I will apply for it. I just received the Archery In the Schools grant last week so we can expand out archery club!

I take at least 50 students fishing twice a year, once in the winter and once in the spring. Gotta love it!

[Scott M]

Anybody ever apply or know someone that did?

[Northlander]

Im going to check into this. Im a P.E. teacher by schooling but wound up counceling troubled youth instead.

This would be great for our aftercare programing.

[Mike Wallace]

The Mn DNR has a program called MinnAqua that gets the kids into fishing, stewardship, and ecology of waterways.

It would be nice to combine the Physh Ed $ with the MinnAqua curriculum.

For those of you that teach, the DNR's HSOforum has a database that connects their outdoors programs the Dept. of Ed. standards ( http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/education/teachers/edstandards_intro.html ). Pretty neat stuff, especially tying the Foss science into these programs.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I have worked with MinnAqua in the past, but not as a teacher! I will be looking into this, I just worry that my students are too young.. (I teach K-3rd grade P.E.)

[YourBobersDown]

Perfect time to introduce some good ole fashion bobber fishing. Let me know I would love to come in and help you with this Deitz

[pikedreams]

Hey Deitz, your 3rd graders aren't too young,I know the guy who runs that program and they've got tons of age specific materials for kids. Even stuff like coloring books on boat saftey and PFD usage. Best of all it's free, your taxes have already paid for it.

This sounds like a great pairing between the grant money and the MinnAqua educational materials. I hope as many of you PE guys can take advantage of this as possible. Last summer I teamed up with another guide here in the west metro and we did a thing like this as a summer school class at a local grade school. We started in the classroom doing fish ID and saftey stuff and by the end had them all fishing off a peir on tonka. The kids had a blast! And so did we.

Any of you PE guys in the metro/west metro area considering doing this drop me a line. I'll be happy to lend a hand, boat, and equipment. I can also get you some sweet deals on any additional equipment you need to pull it off.

[Shawnny B]

I woudlnt mind offering a hand either, as long as my oldest can come, shes 3 going on 4 in April, Hey...she just might have Deitz as a Phyed Teach ..Whoohooo...

[Mike Wallace]

Deitz,

I teach K-4. In fact I talked with the head of the metro area program, Roland Sigurdson, yesterday about it. The MinnAqua program is interdisciplinary, so some of it is in PE but there is also alot done in science, social, math, even art.

The DNR has done a lot of the work and they have the corresponding grad standards listed on the HSOforum. Most of the MinnAqua stuff is geared grades 3-5.

Hopefully we will get them out this winter to train our teachers on how to use the program.

Mike Wallace

Hilltop Primary School

Minnetrista, Mn

[Mike Wallace]

PikeDreams Gregg,

I will be in touch with you about your services for our fishing program at our school. Our schools are in Mound and Minnetrista, so we have water all around. And when it comes time to go fish, all hands on deck.

Mike

[mainbutter]

I never heard the term "Phy Ed" before I came to minnesota.

Every other state I lived in called it either "Phys Ed" or "P.E.", with the latter most common. However all of my friends who grew up here call it "Phy Ed".. I just sounds SO weird to me!