DALLAS – May 26, 2021 – The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund is making a major donation to the nation’s leading provider of in-school outdoor education – the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation (OTF). The $50,000 commitment will make the angler education curriculum of OTF’s unique Outdoor Adventures (OA) program available to more schools across the nation and help get more kids outside.“Angler education is one of the most popular units in the Outdoors Adventures program,” said OTF Executive Director Sean McLelland. “Each year, 50 percent of OA students hold a fishing rod for the first time. This partnership with Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund plays a vital role in helping OTF reach 63,000 students in 42 states with vital outdoors education each year.”
“When you teach a child to fish, you provide more than a rod and reel – you connect them to the joys of nature and a fun, affordable hobby for life,” said Bob Ziehmer, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Senior Director of Conservation. “We couldn’t be more excited to provide angler educational opportunities nationwide through the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation, and we thank our customers for making this grant possible by rounding up purchases to the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund. Together, we’re shaping the next generation of anglers and conservationists.”
The donation supports one of the most comprehensive modules in the Outdoor Adventures curriculum – 23 days of classroom instruction taught in all 42 states. The program covers all aspects of angling safety, best practices and conversation, as well as teaching about fish habitat in the local area. Students learn to tie knots and to fish with spin cast, spinning, bait cast and fly rods, and then are encouraged to go out and catch their first fish.
“Both of these outstanding organizations share our passion and commitment for educating the next generation of outdoorsmen and women, so that they will appreciate, respect and conserve our wildlife, wild spaces and our outdoor heritage,” said OTF Board Chair Ricky Fairchild. “We’re so grateful for their support in furthering our mission.”
The Outdoor Adventures program offered by OTF is a fun, interactive course where students are taught lifelong skills using an integrated curriculum comprised of math, science, writing and critical thinking. Detailed lesson plans cover angler education, archery, hunter education, boater education, orienteering, survival skills, camping, outdoor cooking, challenge course, backpacking, mountain bike camping, paddle sports, rock climbing, shooting sports, CPR/first aid and fauna, flora and wilderness medicine.
Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund join these other supporting partners:
Advance Financial Foundation
Conservation Frontlines
Dallas Safari Club Foundation
Grand Slam Club/Ovis
Houston Safari Club Foundation
IOSH Eastern Priory
Kinder Outdoors
McBride Conservation Fund Foundation
MidwayUSA Foundation
Nancy Chappelear-Weldon Foundation
Park Cities Quail Coalition
R. N. Family Trust
RBC Foundation
Safari Club International
Shikar Safari Club International
Sportsmen’s Club of Fort Worth
Tailwaters
Texas Outdoor Camps
Texas Wildlife Association
Texas Youth Hunting Program
Warren Wildlife Gallery
Weatherby Foundation
In addition to being sanctioned by Texas Parks & Wildlife, OA is now the officially backed educational program for the Oklahoma Department of Conservation, and the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.
Founded in 1981 in Dallas, Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation is a public nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. For many schools, grant money offsets the cost of the program, plus OTF offers matching funds for equipment as new schools join. The resulting classes can be taught as a P.E. course, local elective or with agricultural science and wildlife management.
The Outdoor Adventures education program is offered in more than 665 schools in 40 states nationwide teaching over 63,000 students each year.
For a complete listing of the courses offered through the Outdoor Adventures program please visit our website at www.GoOTF.com.
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Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation
Since 1981, the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation (OTF) has made its mission to teach outdoor education and promote wildlife conservation through the Outdoor Adventures program, currently in 665 schools across the country. The curriculum, impacting more than 350,000 students since it began, is accessed by 63,000 students annually in 42 states, including archery, shooting, fishing, camping, first aid, boater safety, hunter education, outdoor cooking and more. The OTF also provides grants for equipment, free workshops and teacher training and is accredited by state parks and wildlife commissions from each state. More info about Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation, and how to bring the Outdoor Adventure curriculum to a school near you, go to gootf.com.
About the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund
Under the visionary leadership of founder Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s is leading North America’s largest conservation movement. Together with our partners in conservation, we’re positively shaping the future of the outdoors through donations, grant-making and advocacy. The 501c3 Outdoor Fund raises funds to support conservation efforts by activating more than 200 million passionate sportsmen and women rounding up their purchases in Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s stores and online. For more information, visit www.basspro.com/conservation
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