NON-PROFIT
OUTDOORS TOMORROW FOUNDATION By LeAnn Schmitt Operations Manager, Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation
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n today’s digital age, our youth spend much of their free time in virtual worlds playing video games or conversing on social media. Compared to previous generations, they have less connection with the outdoors and outdoor skills and recreational opportunities. Left unchecked, this trend will only get worse. The Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation works hard to reverse this trend through the Outdoor Adventures curriculum. Through Outdoor Adventures students learn all about the outdoors and the unique and wonderful adventures that they can experience there. Founded in 1981, Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to teach outdoor education and to promote and fund conservation of wildlife worldwide. The Foundation developed and implements Outdoor Adventures, an in-school, accredited K-12 comprehensive outdoor skills and conservation curriculum. The Outdoor Adventures curriculum is taught as a physical education class, local school elective, or as an ag science wildlife management course. Through the efforts of Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation, the Outdoor Adventures curriculum has become the country’s premier in-school program now offered in nearly 1,000 public and private schools across 45 states. More than 80,000 students annually are receiving a comprehensive education in outdoor skills and wildlife conservation that they can use and enjoy for the rest of their lives. The curriculum consists of 34 units that may be customized to suit local preferences and geographical area, such as ice fishing in the northern states and saltwater fishing techniques along the coast. The units include everything from hunter education, archery, and shooting sports to backpacking, camp cooking, and survival skills. Students in the Outdoor Adventures classes learn through hands-on experiences. Learning these new
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skills builds confidence and self-reliance and creates a foundation that can lead to future outdoor adventures. Being outdoors and engaged in physical activity has proven to improve many behavioral and mental health issues. Learning about conserving our wildlife and wild lands in a long term, sustainable manner promotes students becoming good stewards of our natural resources. Feedback and statistics from principals, educators and parents at schools teaching the Outdoor Adventures curriculum has shown improved attendance, fewer discipline issues and improved grades for students enrolled in the course. This has especially proven true at schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods with elevated levels of student apathy and truancy. Most importantly, students have used the skills learned in the Outdoor Adventures classroom to achieve significant accomplishments, including: • Harvesting, processing, and consuming their first game bird. • Catching their first fish. • Competing in state and national archery competitions. • Saving a life using CPR. • Taking their family camping. Outdoor education is for all kids regardless of gender, physical ability, previous experience, or socioeconomic level. The Outdoor Adventures classes, provided and supported by Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation, teach practical yet life changing skills and give students a more memorable and valuable set of experiences than they get from video games or social media. The Outdoor Adventures curriculum prepares today’s youth for a life of enjoying and appreciating the outdoors. If you would like more information about getting this program in a school near you, visit the gootf.com website for additional information including contact information for Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation.
