Youth Education Report

GET READY TO FIX RODS & REELS

As stated in the February youth education report, it’s time to get our rods and reels ready for the 2010 fishing season. Let’s start with examining the rod guides. Spray the rod guides with WD-40 and use a soft cloth to remove any corrosion on the guides. Next you can use a piece of cotton and a magnifying glass to detect broken and worn guides. Tip: Rub the cotton around the rod guide and look for snags of cotton on the guide. A magnifying glass will help you see grooves in guides. If you happen to find broken or grooved guides, make the repair or bring it to your local tackle dealer and they will assist you with getting your fishing rod ready for action. Do the same with your fishing reels, spray them with WD-40 and wipe them down with a soft cloth. This will remove any moisture in the small crevices of the reel. If you have the directions from when you purchased the reel, refer to the diagram to oil and grease the reel. If you don’t have a diagram, look online for the make and model of the reel. Mike’s reel repair has a good selection of reel schematics at www.mikesreelrepair.com to get you started. Do not attempt to repair a reel without a diagram. You can turn a good reel into instant junk if it is not properly disassembled and cared for during the cleaning and re-greasing process. Keep in mind that if you feel you are not skillful enough to complete the reel cleaning task you can always bring it to your local tackle shop. Most tackle dealers will assist you early in the season with reel repairs. Some shops offer classes and this is a good way to learn the basics of rod and reel repair.

NEWARK BAIT & FLYCASTING CLUB

The JCAA Youth Education Committee will visit the Newark Bait and Flycasting Club 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 3, 2010 and present a “Hooked On Fishing Not On Drugs” event for youngsters attending their Kids Fishing Night. The Newark Bait and Flycasting Club hosts the event at the Knights of Columbus Hall, located in Union, NJ. Children and their families are welcome to come and enjoy a night of fun fishing activities and refreshments. The Jersey Coast Anglers Association’s Youth Education Committee will support this worthwhile event by conducting a slide presentation about starting a youth fishing club and utilizing materials from HOFNOD, Take Me Fishing, NFBW, and Passport to Fishing and Boating. If time allows we will explain how to run a summer fishing tournament for students.

RODS AND REELS FOR KIDS

Bill Browne and members of the Silverton Fishing Club are assisting the JCAA Youth Education Committee with providing “Rods and Reels for Kids.” It’s a new program that we are introducing to children at risk for the 2010 fishing season. Members of the Silverton Club offered to repair recycled rods and reels for children that would like to start a fishing club and learn about fishing in a public school environment. The “Rods and Reels for Kids” program will begin at the start of the new year and continue through National Fishing Week at schools in Monmouth and Ocean County. The program will include learning materials from the Hooked on Fishing not on Drugs program and there is also a $5,000.00 grant for schools to submit. The program is designed to teach students about healthy outdoor activities as an alternative to drugs, alcohol, gangs, and violence. Students will learn about aquatic conservation, biology of a fish, water safety, how to maintain and repair fishing equipment and New Jersey rules and regulations. If you would like to donate used rods and reels that the Silverton Fishing Club can recycle, please phone Bill Browne 732-929-9112. If Mr. Browne is not available please leave a message and he will return your call. Rod and reels can also be delivered to Mr. Browne’s home address: 907 Nevel Street, Toms River, NJ 08753. We already received donations from the Shore Surf Club and Peg Gleman, NCMS/ISAC Committee Member. The JCAA Youth Education Committee will instruct educators and students about utilizing HOFNOD printed materials and assist with the development of organizing a school fishing club. If you would like to help with this worthwhile project, please send me an e-mail with HOFNOD in the subject line at gkucharews@aol.com.

GRANTS FOR CONSIDERATION

Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grants: Searching for funding for your outdoor classroom, schoolyard garden or school greening project? Lowe’s will donate $5 million to public schools and public-school parent teacher groups at more than 1,000 different public schools per school year. For info, go to http://www.toolboxforeducation.com/National. Education Association Foundation Green Grants: The NEA Foundation, in partnership with Nickelodeon and the Staples Foundation for Learning, offers Green Grants for the development and implementation of ideas, techniques and approaches for teaching green concepts and to support projects that integrate green-related topics with various standards-based content areas. Public school educators are eligible to apply for individual grants worth up to $5,000. Visit www.neafoundation.org/pages/educators/grant-programs/nea-foundation-green-grants.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Projects:

NOAA’s Office of Education requests applications for environmental literacy projects in K-12 education. Funded projects will be 1-5 years in duration and will promote changes in K-12 education to expand the amount of Earth System Science taught in the classroom. Info: www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html

Pay It Forward Mini-Grants:

These grants are designed to fund one-time-only, service-oriented projects identified by youth as activities they would like to perform to benefit their school, neighborhood, or greater community. Projects must contain a "pay it forward" focus—that is, they must be based on the concept of one person doing a favor for others, who in turn do favors for others, with the results growing exponentially, to be considered in the grant making process. Information at www.payitforwardfoundation.org/educators/mini-grant.html.

Toshiba America Foundation Grants for 7-12 Math and Science Teachers:

Toshiba America Foundation grants support innovative projects designed by math and science teachers to make their classrooms more exciting and successful for students. Any 7-12 teacher in a public or private school in the U.S. is eligible. Proposed projects must advance the teacher's science and math teaching units. Proposals are reviewed in February and August. TAF offers similar grants for teachers of grades K-6 with a deadline in October. Visit www.toshiba.com/tafpub/upload/page/100045/25964_Executive.pdf.

Captain Planet Foundation Grants:

The Captain Planet Foundation accepts applications four times each year for funding projects that help students better grasp environmental issues. Grants range from $250 to $2,500. Projects must promote understanding of environmental issues, focus on hands-on activities, involve children and young adults ages 6 to 18, promote interaction and cooperation within a group, help young people develop planning and problem-solving skills, include adult supervision and commit to follow-up communication with the Foundation. Grant cycles also in June, September and December. Info: www.captainplanetfoundation.org/default.aspx?pid=3&tab=apply.

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge for Grades 6-8:

The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge is a sustainability challenge where students form teams, work with a teacher/mentor to identify an environmental issue in their community, research it, develop a plan, collect data, analyze that data and share the results they’ve found so far. Teams may be made up of two to three students, each of whom is a U.S. resident enrolled in a public, private, parochial or home school in the U.S, under the supervision of an adult. Go to wecanchange.com.

DonorsChoose.org:

DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit website, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals choose projects to fund. Info at www.DonorsChoose.org.

[News Contents] [Top]