"HOOKING" YOUTH ON FISHING FOR THE FUTURE
"Great news! Our PTA has raised the money to cover the cost of the program and continue it for many years to come. Please let me know what steps are next to get the ball rolling for Fishing in Schools. You can have the esign directed to me, Ryan Frink, Principal, Maybell Elementary. Our students, parents and community are super excited for this program. Thanks!"
TRAINING
NFSP provides training for all teachers who wish to teach the curriculum. No matter the prospective instructor’s level of fishing experience and expertise, each must first be certified as an NFSP Level 1 Teacher via an NFSP "Teacher Training" course; in person or online. Teachers are trained in either the "Cast A Fly, Catch A Student" (fly fishing) or "Cast A Lure, Catch A Student" (spincasting) curriculum, or both.
Training and certification are provided on NFSP's LMS: nfspcast.fishinginschool.org
Set-up and operation, equipment, and training methods used in NFSP are standardized and the same for every school participating in the program. If an educator is new to angling, our training prepares the teacher to confidently and effectively teach the sport to youth.
Set-up and operation, equipment, and training methods used in NFSP are standardized and the same for every school participating in the program. If an educator is new to angling, our training prepares the teacher to confidently and effectively teach the sport to youth.
Interview with Jacob Benson, Kinard Middle School, Fort Collins, Colorado
How long have you been teaching “Fishing in Schools”? Not sure (Maybe you have that on record?) 2011?Why did you want to teach a program like “Fishing in Schools”? Fishing is a big passion and hobby of mine, and I wanted to share that passion with my students.What makes “Fishing in Schools” a good program? Gives great curriculum to teach the fundamentals to students. The curriculum kit is amazing and has everything you need.How is it unique? Love the process. From the paracord used to teach knots, to the entomology (learning about bugs), to the identification of fish and flies with the target practice, and the fish targets are so much fun. We end the unit by partnering with local fly shops that donate flies, a private neighborhood lake near our school that lets us use their water to have a fishing field trip!How has it impacted your students? Some of my students have developed such a passion for this that it has led them to a profession in the fishing world (Guides, Fly tying… etc)Other students learned a skill they have never tried before, and taught their families. Has bonded families together.How has it impacted your teaching? This makes teaching so much fun for me. I love sharing with parents and future parents of kids at our school what our PE program looks like. I get lots of comments like… “Wait…What?, You have a fishing unit?")Do you feel it has effectively met your educational goals? Yes and this has sparked other passions of mine that I also incorporate into my PE class. Its has also challenged me to learn something new I have never done. (I now also teach archery in PE.)Does it meet standards you are required to teach? Yes it covers a lot of the Colorado State Standards!Would you recommend the program to other teachers? Why? YES!!! There is probably a big demographic of students who have never fished. This not only teaches a new skill that they can take with them for a lifetime, but it is so much fun and gets you out of the classroom walls.Do you have a story you’d like to share about your experience teaching “Fishing in Schools”?Part of me just wants to send you a bunch of pictures and videos just so you can see the look in kids’ eyes when they catch a fish. Also, love the connection that happens when I have parents jump in as volunteers for our field trip! We also now have a fly tying club at our school that meets tonight actually! My favorite stories are the ones that I hear years later. High school, or college age kids that send me pictures and share experiences they have.
How long have you been teaching “Fishing in Schools”? Not sure (Maybe you have that on record?) 2011?Why did you want to teach a program like “Fishing in Schools”? Fishing is a big passion and hobby of mine, and I wanted to share that passion with my students.What makes “Fishing in Schools” a good program? Gives great curriculum to teach the fundamentals to students. The curriculum kit is amazing and has everything you need.How is it unique? Love the process. From the paracord used to teach knots, to the entomology (learning about bugs), to the identification of fish and flies with the target practice, and the fish targets are so much fun. We end the unit by partnering with local fly shops that donate flies, a private neighborhood lake near our school that lets us use their water to have a fishing field trip!How has it impacted your students? Some of my students have developed such a passion for this that it has led them to a profession in the fishing world (Guides, Fly tying… etc)Other students learned a skill they have never tried before, and taught their families. Has bonded families together.How has it impacted your teaching? This makes teaching so much fun for me. I love sharing with parents and future parents of kids at our school what our PE program looks like. I get lots of comments like… “Wait…What?, You have a fishing unit?")Do you feel it has effectively met your educational goals? Yes and this has sparked other passions of mine that I also incorporate into my PE class. Its has also challenged me to learn something new I have never done. (I now also teach archery in PE.)Does it meet standards you are required to teach? Yes it covers a lot of the Colorado State Standards!Would you recommend the program to other teachers? Why? YES!!! There is probably a big demographic of students who have never fished. This not only teaches a new skill that they can take with them for a lifetime, but it is so much fun and gets you out of the classroom walls.Do you have a story you’d like to share about your experience teaching “Fishing in Schools”?Part of me just wants to send you a bunch of pictures and videos just so you can see the look in kids’ eyes when they catch a fish. Also, love the connection that happens when I have parents jump in as volunteers for our field trip! We also now have a fly tying club at our school that meets tonight actually! My favorite stories are the ones that I hear years later. High school, or college age kids that send me pictures and share experiences they have.
TWO CURRICULA
NFSP lesson plans are standards-based, having followed SHAPE National Standards. They are presented as in-school curriculum, so that despite what Mother Nature has in store outdoors, students can still be learning this valuable outdoor skill, indoors, in their school gym.
NFSP lesson plans were co-written by educators (including a National PE Teacher of the Year) and passionate anglers. Lessons are designed to be compliant with 4 core content standards: Physical Education, Science, Language Arts and Technology. Both curricula are designed to be taught for 10 days and offer more than 10 lessons in each. The lessons are easy to use and administer while offering flexibility to the needs of the teacher. With assessments built in to every lesson (and quizzes along the way), tracking your students learning and improvement is made easy. NFSP makes teaching the sport of fishing easy for educators. We provide curriculum and equipment tailored to:
NFSP lesson plans were co-written by educators (including a National PE Teacher of the Year) and passionate anglers. Lessons are designed to be compliant with 4 core content standards: Physical Education, Science, Language Arts and Technology. Both curricula are designed to be taught for 10 days and offer more than 10 lessons in each. The lessons are easy to use and administer while offering flexibility to the needs of the teacher. With assessments built in to every lesson (and quizzes along the way), tracking your students learning and improvement is made easy. NFSP makes teaching the sport of fishing easy for educators. We provide curriculum and equipment tailored to:
- Elementary School - grades K-5
- Middle School - grades 6, 7 & 8
- High School - grades 9, 10, 11
- College & University
- Other educational programs & NGOs
Curriculum Kits
NFSP offers two complete curricula kits: one is oriented towards fly fishing, "Cast A Fly, Catch A Student", the other uses spincast tackle, "Cast A Lure, Catch A Student."
Equipment used in NFSP is age-group-specific, standardized and approved by the FEF Board of Directors. A principle of "Fishing in Schools" is that equipment used is safe, universal fit, modern, affordable, durable, easy for the teacher and the student to learn to use, and closely the same for every student within his/her age group.
The "NFSP Curriculum Kit" is equipped with everything a teacher needs to teach students how to fish, while at the same time educating students about various elements of the sport: fish, habitat/environment, food/imitations, conservation and more.
Equipment used in NFSP is age-group-specific, standardized and approved by the FEF Board of Directors. A principle of "Fishing in Schools" is that equipment used is safe, universal fit, modern, affordable, durable, easy for the teacher and the student to learn to use, and closely the same for every student within his/her age group.
The "NFSP Curriculum Kit" is equipped with everything a teacher needs to teach students how to fish, while at the same time educating students about various elements of the sport: fish, habitat/environment, food/imitations, conservation and more.
UNIQUE
One feature that makes the program successful are the unique FishTargets used in NFSP as teaching aids. These photorealistic reproductions of fish are used as targets that provide teachers with educational tools that make the curriculum effective, fun and engaging.