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Youth Guide Schools

Our efforts have identified numerous local students showing exceptional promise and interest in outdoor recreation, leading to the establishment of two fly fishing guide schools and one whitewater rafting guide school. Developed by The Outdoor Academy, these programs have provided practical avenues for personal and professional development, offering skills applicable to future careers in the outdoors. 

Fly Fishing Guide Schools

In its first year the Outdoor Academy created two separate youth fly fishing guide schools that were entirely free to the students who participated in them.  Each of the participants received brand new fly rods, reels, waders and boots in an effort to eliminate any hurdles that may exist in participating in a new sport. In these programs students spent multiple weekends working with professional fly fishing guides, learning the skills and techniques required to guide clients on the water.  We are proud to say that many of our students have reported back to us saying how much these guide schools helped them to grow as young adults, giving them the confidence to work with a wide variety of people and age groups.

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The educational aspects of these guide schools went beyond just fishing and also focused on the conservation of our public lands. Students learned the importance of protecting our local resources for future generations to come and even participated in the planting of willows along waterways in the National Monument to help preserve the ecosystem. They all left the guide school with a sense of pride for their local public lands and an understanding of just how important it is that we all help to protect them.

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We would like to thank the Taos Fly Shop and the Reel Life of Santa Fe for hosting these guide schools and taking the time to educate the next generation of outdoor people. Furthermore we would also like to thank Vidal Gonzales for all of his hard work in connecting students to the Reel Life guide school and being a phenomenal teacher to the students who participated. All of the people involved in these programs went above and beyond in creating a safe and fun environment that fostered learning and growth for all. Additionally, each of these shops have hired one intern from each of their youth guide schools to work in their shops.  We at Outdoor Academy are excited to see where these students go from here and are happy to have helped them build a strong foundation to build upon.

Youth Rafting Guide School

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Outdoor Academy, in partnership with Far-Flung Adventures hosted a week-long White Water Rafting Youth Guide School at the start of the summer.  In this guide school students learned how to read and navigate the Rio Grande and the skills necessary to become a white water guide, all free of charge. Each student received their CPR certification as well as a personal flotation device as part of this course. After one week spent running the Rio with their fellow classmates, these students celebrated their achievements by participating in a community float event on the Orilla Verde section of the Rio. Each student guided their own friends and families, demonstrating their newly acquired skills. Parents and students alike were quite proud of their accomplishments, and all 60 participants of the event had a great day on the water celebrating the recent graduates of the Youth Guide School.

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The Outdoor Academy would like to thank Will Blackstock, owner of Far Flung Adventures, for making this incredible learning opportunity possible for our local youth. Together we were further able to achieve our goal of connecting local youth to their public lands in a meaningful and impactful manner. Without a doubt, the students who participated in this program grew as individuals and outdoors people, all while gaining the experience and training needed to get a job in the local outdoor industry. This program is a strong example of what can be made possible when local organizations work together with the goal of benefiting our Northern New Mexican youth.

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In addition to this youth guide school, the Outdoor Academy also helped connect two high school age students to work with Los Rios River Runners for their annual guide school. In this guide school these students learned the necessary skills to become white water rafting guides.  We are proud to say that these same students have also secured positions as interns, working for Los Rios this summer.  We at the Friends Group would like to thank Cisco Guevara for making these opportunities possible for our local youth.  We are proud to watch our students graduate from their guide schools and move into local outdoor professional roles.

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