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Welcome to the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s online application process for school groups. Please read the following information carefully, since providing complete and accurate information will increase your chances of receiving a Sport Fishing Education program.
Submitting an application is not a guarantee that your group will receive a program, but it is a necessary first step in applying for a program. If you have any questions, please call (623) 236-7235 and ask to speak with one of our Aquatic Education staff.
What is the School Group Fishing Program?
A school group fishing program is composed of two parts, Classroom Instruction and Field Instruction, and these are usually held on separate days.
Classroom Instruction is a one-hour presentation conducted at a school or a place where your group meets. The presentation covers topics, such as native fish and sport fish of Arizona, fish biology and habitat requirements, fishing safety and ethics, fishing regulations and basic fishing techniques. Educational handouts are available for all participants, and information resource packets are available for educators and group leaders upon request.
Field Instruction is a three-to four-hour, hands-on fishing event at an urban lake or nearby body of water of your choice. The department provides all fishing equipment and all fishing license requirements are waived between the clinic hours. Transportation to the fishing location is the responsibility of the requesting group.
Things To Know Before You Apply
- The majority of students in a school group program must be 8 years old (3rd grade) or above. The department does not provide sport-fishing instruction for classes K through 2nd grade.
- School group must have a minimum of 25 students attending both the classroom and field instruction with a maximum limit of 90 students allowed during each field instruction. An application may contain mixed grade levels or grade levels that are all the same.
- Groups working with individuals that have special needs, (physical, developmental or mental disabilities), may include staff or caregivers when counting minimum numbers of participants as long as the staff or caregivers attend both classroom and field instruction.
- The Sport Fishing Education Program will not provide staff or equipment for “competitive” fishing events, derbies or tournaments. The following criteria also apply to “catch and release” competitive events. A competitive fishing event is any event that involves the catching of fish as a requirement for the awarding of prizes, trophies, certificates, ribbons, or special recognition of any kind. Raffles or drawings may be used to award prizes to individuals, who have registered for the event or have participated in an educational process and as long as the distribution of prizes is not tied in any way to the catching of fish.
- There is a limit of one sport-fishing program, per classroom, per school year. Whether you receive a program or not this school year, you will need to submit a new application next school year if you want a program.
- To increase your chances of being drawn:
• Be as flexible as you can when providing dates (or months) of when your group is available for a program. Our instructors only have so many available dates as they continue to schedule programs with different groups.
• When your school has more than one classroom that is applying (remember, you can have up to 90 students per application), have each teacher within your applicant group submit an application with their name on it. This will result in more than one application for your group being submitted thereby increasing your group’s chances of being drawn.
• Be accurate and complete when filling out your application. If we can’t get a hold of you we can’t schedule your program.
- You will discover that the Sport Fishing Education program will be one of the most enjoyable programs that your group will participate in all year.
- All Title 1 schools are eligible to apply for financial assistance from the Arizona Game and Fish Department for school bus transportation to the fishing location established for the Field Instruction.. Title 1 schools must indicate on the application whether financial assistance is required to participate in the Sport Fishing Education Program. This offer is only available to Title 1 schools that would not be able to participate in this program without financial assistance. Financial assistance will be provided on a first come first serve basis until the funds budgeted for this offer are expended.
How the Drawing Process Works
School Groups, Please Submit Your Contact Information
Application Deadline:
School groups must apply online before 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 7, 2007. After the deadline has passed, you will only be able to provide your contact information, which we will use to notify you of next year’s drawing dates. Submitting your application is just the first step in the drawing process, and is not a guarantee that your group will receive a program.
If you are interested in learning more about our Rod Loaner Program or the Backyard Bass Casting activity, please e-mail Doug Thornburg at dthornburg@azgfd.gov or call him at (623) 236-7240.
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