INTERNATIONAL ORDER OF T. ROOSEVELT TO PARTNER WITH OUTDOORS TOMORROW FOUNDATION ON CONSERVATION EDUCATION
IOTR Commits $100,000 Grant to OTF
Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation, the leading provider of outdoor skill, safety and conservation curriculum to schools nationwide, has received a $100,000 grant from the International Order of T. Roosevelt to fund a partnership aimed at raising youth awareness and education about wildlife conservation.
“This dynamic partnership between two leading conservation organizations is an ideal match,” OTF Executive Director Sean McLelland said. “Through it, we’ll work together to engage youth in outdoor education across the country. OTF’s Outdoor Adventures curriculum is used in schools in 47 states, making it a perfect partner for IOTR to achieve its goal of furthering wildlife conservation.”
McLelland accepted the grant at IOTR’s Naples, Florida, gathering in late April.
“As the nation’s premier conservation group, The International Order of T. Roosevelt is proud to partner with Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation to reach future outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen,” IOTR Executive Director Luke Hilgemann said. “Through this partnership, we can educate the next generation about the importance of the conservation lifestyle so that we may protect our heritage well into the future.”
OTF operates through its Outdoor Adventures program, a fun, interactive course where students are taught lifelong skills using an integrated, 34-unit curriculum comprised of math, science, writing and critical thinking skills. The 300 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. OA teachers can pick units specific to their region and local ecosystems.
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.
The Outdoor Adventures education program is offered in1070 schools in 47 states nationwide with more than 90,000 students participating each year and more than 550,000 program graduates. Each OA student spends 180 hours learning outdoor education per year. The program has totaled 18 million classroom hours of outdoor education to date.
Named after the pioneer of conservation Theodore Roosevelt, the International Order of T. Roosevelt is a proactive hunting and conservation foundation focused on sustaining the North American model of wildlife conservation.
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 1070 schools across the country. The curriculum, impacting more than 550,000 students since it began, is accessed by 110,000 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.
