TU's network of chapters and volunteers offer the nation's most innovate and successful programs for engaging youth in coldwater conservation. Read about how the following Youth Education programs are being used by Virginia chapters to foster a whole new generation of conservationists.
Trout in the Classroom
A flagship program of Trout Unlimited's Youth Education efforts, Trout in the Classroom offers students of all ages a chance to raise trout in a classroom setting and then release them into a nearby stream or river. During the eight months that classes spend raising trout, they closely monitor water temperature, water clarity, dissolved oxygen, ammonia levels, and pH. Because trout are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment, students learn the importance of clean water and environmental protection.
Trout in the Classroom brings nature into the classroom and allows students to develop a personal bond and sense of the conservation ethics that are at the core of Trout Unlimited's mission.
Visit our Virginia Trout in the Classroom pages for more information.
Tri-State Conservation & Fishing Camp
The Tri-State Trout Camp is an exciting week of hands-on activities for high school students who want to combine their enthusiasm for fishing with an interest in learning more about conservation. It is a joint project of Trout Unlimited in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Staff and faculty members are drawn from federal and state environmental agencies, professional fishing guides, conservation teachers, and experienced members of Trout Unlimited and other organizations actively involved in conservation and fishing. Campers study stream conservation and restoration, hydrology, water and air quality and pollution, fish habitat and watershed protection, and vertebrate and insect populations. They also learn how to use fly and spinning tackle to effectively and responsibly catch fish, and how to tie the flies that imitate the insects that fish eat, including those found in Shenandoah National Park’s trout streams.
Visit the Tri-State Trout Camp Web site for more information.
Stream Explorers Youth Membership
Trout Unlimited's Stream Explorer membership offers kids a chance to learn about wild fish and the natural world. Now more than ever, kids need to be inspired to get outside and discover the fascinating life of trout and salmon and the rivers that sustain them. A Stream Explorers membership is a positive step toward creating the next generation of environmental stewards.
Benefits include issues of Stream Explorers or Trout magazine, a Trout Unlimited wall calendar, Trout Unlimited membership card, stickers, and fun!
Visit the Stream Explorers Web site for more information.
5 Rivers College Outreach Program
Part of Trout Unlimited's expanding Youth Education efforts, 5 Rivers promotes TU's mission on college and university campuses around the country. Tomorrow's conservation leaders are currently enrolled and on their way to becoming the scientists, policy makers, volunteers and anglers who will become the Trout Unlimited of the future. In order to sustain the success of its current protection and restoration of the country's coldwater resources, TU must not only share this work with college students but give them the tools and encouragement necessary to create a new generation of conservationists.
Learn more about the 5 Rivers College Outreach Program on TU National's Web site.
Boy Scout Fly Fishing Merit Badge Program
The Merit Badge has long been the standard by which Boy Scouts have proven competency and skill in a particular area, and a badge related to fly fishing and coldwater conservation makes perfect sense. Under guidelines approved by the Boy Scouts and TU in 2002, this unique program enables TU volunteers to act as "Merit Badge counselors" and work with a Scout as he practices and learns the 10 steps that lead to the earning of the Badge. Interested chapters can locate their local council and work with Troop leaders in a given region to make connections and get interested Scouts on the pathway to the Fly Fishing Merit Badge.
Learn more about the Boy Scout Fly Fishing Merit Badge Program on TU National's Web site.
First Cast Program
This far-reaching TU educational program is built around a curriculum that the late Phil Genova developed in order to teach kids how to fly fish, and many chapters and councils have turned to this informative resource to organize casting clinics and fishing lessons. First Cast materials also cover such topics as fundraising, safety, liability, and publicity so that any dedicated group of volunteers can utilize the program as an inclusive blueprint for their youth education event.
Download First Cast materials in PDF format on TU National's Web site.