OUTDOORS TOMORROW FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH PASS IT ON! TO ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TOWARD OUTDOOR SAFETY, SKILL AND CONSERVATION

Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation, the leading provider of outdoor skill, safety and conservation curriculum to schools nationwide, is partnering with Pass It On–Outdoor Mentors to help young people take the next step in putting what they learn through OTF’s program into action in the outdoors.

“Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation’s Outdoor Adventures program reaches over 100,000 students each year in 1,000 schools nationwide,” said OTF Chairman Kyle Shidler. “Working with Pass It On, we will see thousands of students take what they have learned and further develop their skills in the outdoors.”

OTF’s Outdoor Adventures program is a fun, interactive course where students are taught lifelong skills using an integrated. The 34-unit curriculum comprised of math, science, writing and critical thinking skills. The 290 detailed lesson plans cover angler education, archery, hunter education, boater education, orienteering, survival skills, camping, outdoor cooking, challenge courses, backpacking, mountain bike camping, paddle sports, rock climbing, shooting sports, CPR/first aid and fauna, flora and wilderness medicine and much more. OA teachers can pick units specific to their region and local ecosystems.

Pass It On–Outdoor Mentors matches caring adults with a passion for the outdoors with children who want to learn about the outdoors. The organization’s adult mentors work to provide opportunities for children to learn about outdoor activities in a safe environment. These activities include fishing, camping, hiking, bird watching, archery, hunting, shooting sports, sailing and more.

“Our agreement with OTF creates a fantastic opportunity for our volunteer adult mentors to help children take what they have learned and apply it in active outdoor experiences,” said Pass It On President and CEO Mike Christensen. “With our organization working together, we’ll equip the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts to safely enjoy the whole range of outdoor activities.”

Pass It On is an independent, not-for-profit organization that began in 1999 as an effort by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks to bolster the ranks of hunters and fishers in the state. It has grown beyond the borders of Kansas to include activities in Alabama, Alaska, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. 

Founded in 1981 in Dallas, the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation is a public nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. For many schools, grant money offsets the cost of the program, plus OTF offers matching funds for equipment as new schools join. The resulting classes can be taught as a P.E. course, local elective or with agricultural science and wildlife management.  

There are more than 520,000 program graduates thus far, and each OA student spends 180 hours learning outdoor education per year. The program has totaled 95 million classroom hours of outdoor education to date. 

Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation

Since 1981, the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation (OTF) has made its mission to teach outdoor education and promote wildlife conservation through the Outdoor Adventures program, currently in 1,049 schools across the country. The curriculum, impacting more than 400,000 students since it began, is accessed by 105,000 students annually in 47 states, including archery, shooting, fishing, camping, first aid, boater safety, hunter education, outdoor cooking and more. The OTF also provides grants for equipment, free workshops and teacher training and is accredited by state parks and wildlife commissions from each state. More info about Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation, and how to bring the Outdoor Adventures curriculum to a school near you, go to gootf.com.