Become A Certified Youth Fishing Instructor and Help Kids Connect With The Outdoors

ATHENS, OH – Any adult, group, or conservation club who has a sincere interest in taking kids fishing should consider becoming a certified Passport to Fishing instructor, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife.

Passport certification courses are being offered in southeast Ohio during early 2015. Passport to Fishing is a one-day instructor training program that qualifies individuals to become Division of Wildlife certified fishing instructors, similar to a hunter education instructor. Workshops are free of charge, but pre-registration is required. Participants will be required to participate in a background check. Dates and locations for the courses are as follows: Wednesday, April 1, Deerassic Education Center, 14250 Cadiz Road, Cambridge Ohio 43725, 10:00am-4:00pm (pre-registration required by March 27) Wednesday, April 15, District 4 Office, 360 E. State Street, Athens, Ohio 45701, 10:00am-4:00pm (pre-registration required by April 10)

Passport to Fishing was developed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and adopted by the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation. Workshops teach volunteers the basics of fishing and how to run a four-station fishing program with a fishing event. These instructors then go back to their communities, with a written curriculum and training aids, to teach kids and beginning anglers the basics of fishing.

By becoming a certified instructor, you will not only be able to help in reconnecting students with the outdoors, but you will also have the skills and resources to help you do it in a more successful way. Resources available include grants, equipment, publications and brochures, and training.

For more information or to register for a workshop, please call Chelsea Herrick at 740-589-9942. For additional class information, visit wildohio.gov.