MS Dept. of Wildlife, Fisheries, & Parks

Youth Participation Initiative Grant Recipients Announced

Jackson – The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2009 Youth Participation Initiative Grant awards.

The Youth Participation Initiative Grant Program was formally created through efforts by the Mississippi Legislature, Dr. Sam Polles, and the MDWFP Commission. The grant program was established to provide funding for the purpose of educating youth in the areas of hunting, fishing, conservation, and safety.

MDWFP is pleased to announce that 33 applications were received totaling nearly $900,000 in requested funding with matching monetary and in-kind donations tallying over $1,000,000 for the proposed projects. While the Youth Participation Initiative Grant Program was only authorized to award $160,000 this year, the interest generated from this initiative serves as an important indication of the amount of public interest there is in Youth Outreach and Recruitment.

MDWFP thanks each of the applicants that applied for funding under the Youth Participation Initiative and looks forward to working with each in the future to increase Youth Outreach and Recruitment in the great outdoors of the State of Mississippi.

Below you will find the complete list of organizations that were funded and their project titles:

Organization	Project Title
MS Raccoon Hunters Assoc.	Youth Extravaganza
Treestand Manufactures Assoc.	MS Youth Treestand Safety Initiative
Quail Unlimited - Oktibbeha Co.	Introducing Youth to the Great Out-of-Doors
MS Bowhunters Assoc.	MS Archery in Schools Initiative
MS NWTF - Archery in Schools	MS Archery in the Schools Program
MS NWTF - Wheelin' Sportsman	Wheelin' Sportsman Deer Hunt
Delta Waterfowl	Youth Waterfowl Hunting and Ed Initiative
Ducks Unlimited	Youth Waterfowl Hunting and Ed Initiative
MSU - Rick Kaminski	Youth Waterfowl Hunting and Ed Initiative
Delta Wildlife	Youth Waterfowl Hunting and Ed Initiative
MS Quail Forever	Introducing New Hunters to Quail Hunting in MS
MS BASS Federation	Camp Fish
Safari Land Learning Center	West Bolivar Outreach Project
Leake Co. Chamber of Commerce	Leake's Safety Expo for 5th Graders
Jackson Outdoor Education Center	Youth Participation Initiative Program
Horne Lake High School ROTC	Horn Lake High Hunter's Ed, Safety, & Marksmanship Program
Land Trust for the MS Coastal Plain	Wet a Hook
Boys & Girls Club of Central MS	Streets to Skeets
MSU - Grady Turner	Youth Conservationist, Hunters and Anglers Program
Baxterville Schools	Dates with Dads
Maritime and Seafood Museum	Sea-n-Sail Adventure Camp
Trinity Educators Development Corp.	Trinity Youth Outdoors Outreach
MS Wildlife Federation	Nat Resources Cooperative Youth Program
MSU - Darryl Jones	Natural Resources Ed. Center

More information about the Youth Participation Initiative Grant Program can be found by contacting:

Justin Wilder Thayer

Youth Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator

Office: (601) 432-2014

Justin.Thayer@mdwfp.state.ms.us.