The Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association has announced the 2019 recipients of its Youth Education Grants.
Eleven organizations have received funding for programs designed to get youth outdoors and to teach them about the valuable natural resources available throughout the state.
The POWA Youth Education Grant Fund is funded primarily through the Annual Sportsmen’s Auction held at the Great American Outdoor Show in Harrisburg in February. To date, POWA has raised and distributed over $400,000 to fund youth educational opportunities. POWA supporting and active members, as well as many of the show’s vendors, donate items and services which are then auctioned off the last Sunday of the show. The 2020 auction is set for Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Donations to the fund are also accepted.
In addition to serving as the state’s only professional organization for writers, photographers, artists, broadcasters and bloggers dedicated to informing Pennsylvanians about the wise use and management of natural resources and outdoor recreation, POWA’s mission includes promotion of outdoor education and increasing awareness and appreciation of our natural resources and outdoor heritage.
To learn more about membership in POWA, visit our website: paoutdoorwriters.com, or contact Executive Director Paula Piatt at ppiatt@paoutdorwriters.com.
Recipients of this year’s award include:
ArtsQuest, Bethlehem, Pa., $600 for Step Outdoors, a hands-on event at SteelStacks that offers opportunities for children to experience archery, fly and spin casting , and animal identification, as well as enjoy wildlife presentations by conservation and sportsmen’s organizations.
Blue Ridge Rifles Muzzleloader Club, Orwigsburg, Pa., $200, for the Youth Shoot at the club’s Memorial Day and Labor Day Rendezvous, allowing the club to waive all fees for youth.
Monroe County Youth Field Day, Blakeslee, Pa., $600, to help sponsor the day which includes archery, fishing, canoeing, trapping, wildlife identification and shooting sports for youth ages 8-14.
Bertsch-Hokendauqua-Catasauqua Watershed Association, Northampton, Pa., $600, for its wildlife program held at the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
Dauphin County Parks and Recreation Department, Harrisburg, Pa., $600 for its annual Youth Day Camp program at Wildwood Park which focuses on Pennsylvania ecology and human interaction with nature.
Capital City Bassmasters, Lewisberry, Pa., $600 for youth activities including events that teach kids to fish, fishing derbies and casting competitions.
Ned Smith Center for Nature & Art, Millersburg, Pa., $600 for its nature photography programs for school children, youth groups and summer camps.
Camp Compass, Allentown, Pa., $600, an organization dedicated to introducing urban middle and high school students to various outdoor activities.
Jefferson County Youth Field Day, Sigel, Pa., $600, for its annual free event, which gives youth the opportunity to have fun and develop new skills by participating in shooting sports, archery, canoeing and other skills stations.
PA Wildlife Habitat Unlimited, DuBois, Pa., $600, for the Clearfield County Youth Field Day for kids ages 7-14. The free event features archery, fishing, boating, shooting and more.
Wildlife Leadership Academy, Lewisburg, Pa., $600; which offers weeklong summer field schools for high school students. The schools focus on single species, but are used as a springboard to explore ecological concepts and management issues.