NWTF At-A-Glance: Education, Outreach and Community Programs
The NWTF's education and outreach programs are directed at providing fun for the entire family and educating them about the importance of conservation and hunting.
Wheelin' Sportsmen
Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF® provides all people with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors through local chapter events nationwide, such as hunting, fishing and shooting activities. With more than 56 million people with disabilities in the U.S., the program fills a much needed void. Through this program, chapters host numerous Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF® events across North America involving individuals with disabilities in the outdoors.
In addition to local chapter events, Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF® also hosts an assortment of national events including:
- Does for Does— Pairs women with disabilities and women who are experienced guides for a weekend of hunting and educational activities.
- Ultimate Team-Up— Special hunting events that pair people with disabilities and non-disabled people for a weekend of hunting and educational activities.
- Ultimate Duos— Provides youth with disabilities and their families a chance to experience a variety of outdoor activities.
- Fishing Round-Ups— Provides participants with disabilities opportunities to enjoy a day of fishing.
- Fun & Learn Days— A fun and easy way to introduce people with disabilities to a variety of outdoor activities.
- Special Events— Provides unique opportunities for groups of disabled and non-disabled participants to enjoy a vast array of opportunities, including deep sea fishing, shooting, archery, photography, hunting and more!
All Wheelin' Sportsmen members receive four issues of Wheelin' Sportsmen magazine a year. The publication provides a forum for readers to share ideas, tips and stories about the challenges and rewards of getting outside and enjoying opportunities most people take for granted.
For more information about the Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF® program or to find an event near you, visit www.wheelinsportsmen.org.
JAKES/Xtreme JAKES
The NWTF's JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) program was developed in 1981 and is dedicated to teaching the principles of wildlife management and passing along the traditions of safe, ethical and responsible hunting. The program is designed for children up to age 12.
The NWTF's Xtreme JAKES program was developed in 2002 for teens between the ages of 13 and 17. The program provides advanced outdoor opportunities and challenges more in line with older JAKES abilities and experiences.
- In 2007, local chapters conducted almost 900 JAKES/Xtreme JAKES events featuring hands on activities throughout North America.
- The NWTF's Education Box has brought the conservation message to more than 2.1 million students across North America. Education boxes, which feature a variety of teaching tools, are supplied to schools at no cost by NWTF chapters and sponsors.
- Each JAKES/Xtreme JAKES member is eligible for a drawing to win a hunt of a lifetime on the legendary King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas.
- JAKES and Xtreme JAKES members across North America receive JAKES/Xtreme JAKES magazines, which has expanded to include 16 additional pages focused on activities teens enjoy. The magazines will also continue to feature fun and educational articles focused on items of interest to younger readers.
NWTF Academic Scholarship Program
The NWTF has made a commitment to America's young people through the NWTF Scholarship Fund. Each year the NWTF presents a $10,000 national scholarship to college bound students as well as several $1,000 state/provincial academic scholarships and $250 local scholarships.
- Scholarships are awarded to young people who have demonstrated a commitment to conservation, academic excellence and building leadership skills. Applicants must be licensed hunters to be eligible.
- To date, the NWTF has awarded $2,266,000 through the scholarship program. The program is just one way the NWTF can ensure we have the dedicated conservationists needed for the future.
- Each year, nearly $500,000 is available in scholarships to JAKES/Xtreme JAKES members.
NWTF partners with Future Farmers of America to provide scholarships: The NWTF provides a $5,000 scholarship to a student pursuing a wildlife management or agriculture degree. The scholarship fund is administered through the National Future Farmers of America Foundation (FFA).
- Each year, one $5,000 scholarship is awarded. Visit www.nwtf.org for more information.
The NWTF surpassed its 10-year, $1 million commitment to the 4-H Shooting Sports Program within five years. Since then, the NWTF has continued its support of the program to ensure youth participating in 4-H shooting can learn the shooting sports in an atmosphere that fosters development.
NWTF partners with the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP). NASP is designed to partner with a state's Department of Education and its Fish and Wildlife agency to offer an Olympic-style target archery program to physical education students from 4th through 12th grades as part of school curriculums.
Women in the Outdoors
Women in the Outdoors® is dedicated to providing hands-on outdoor education for women. Outdoor learning events, which allow women to try activities ranging from hunting to hiking, are conducted throughout the United States and Canada.
- Each participant of an event becomes a member of the NWTF's women's program. As part of their annual $25 membership, women receive the Women In The Outdoors magazine. This award-winning magazine is a quarterly publication that features great articles about conservation and enjoying the outdoors.
- The number of women's events has increased from 18 in 1998 to nearly 400 today. Our goal for 2007 is to host more than 450 events.
- Through the Women in the Outdoors® program, we are teaching the importance of wildlife management, increasing participation in outdoor activities and helping to uphold the hunting tradition.
For more information about the Women in the Outdoors® program or to find an event near you, visit www.womenintheoutdoors.org.
Turkey Hunter's Care Program
Turkey Hunter's Care is a program that provides frozen domestic turkeys to less fortunate families all across North America to help complete the centerpiece of a traditional holiday
dinner.
- Local NWTF chapter volunteers team up with church ministries, food pantries, children's organizations, homeless shelters, National Guard units and other civic service organizations in donating turkeys for a holiday meal.
- In 2007, 317 local NWTF chapters in 46 states donated more than 17,000 turkeys to families in need of a hot holiday feast. Since the programs inception, a total of 71,400 turkeys have been donated.
- The NWTF also offers certificates that can be presented to the individual family or organization that receives the turkeys. In addition, NWTF chapters can order specially made Turkey Hunter's Care bags, at no cost, that will be distributed with the turkeys.
Families Afield
The NWTF has led the charge in promoting youth hunting opportunities. Through the Families Afield program, a partnership of the NWTF, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, data from the Youth Hunting Report is used to help remove youth hunting barriers across the nation. The Youth Hunting Report also shows youth hunters are one of the safest hunters in the woods when accompanied by an adult.
To date, 22 states have approved Families Afield legislation and regulations and six of those states have already measured the program's performance and report a significant climb in new hunters. Data available from Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi and Ohio reveals that apprentice hunting license programs brought nearly 34,000 new hunters to the field.
To learn more about the Families Afield program or to view a list of states already participating, visit www.familiesafield.org.
More Places to Hunt
While More Places to Hunt is a new NWTF program designed to help provide more land for hunters on public and private property, the NWTF already has spent nearly $9 million and obtained more than 400,000 acres of land for hunters since 1987. This new program will build upon our chapter's success and allow the NWTF to coordinate with partners to accomplish even more.
Widespread urban sprawl, changes in land ownership and tightened state agency and federal budgets have left hunters with far less private and public access to quality wildlife areas. Studies by the National Shooting Sports Foundation indicate that one of the top reasons hunters give up the sport is that they can't find places to hunt. As hunter numbers decline, state agencies lose revenue used to support habitat and places to hunt.
To turn this trend around, the NWTF will ramp up efforts through land purchases, conservation easements, legislative action and working with partners. At the core of this access program will be NWTF's state and local chapter volunteers.
The NWTF chapters have already experienced tremendous success in affecting hunter access in a variety of ways, including recent land acquisitions, funding conservation easements, a walk-in hunting area program, holding landowner appreciation days and having an active involvement in legislative issues that provide public access.
