LAKE WORTH, FL--At the Seagull Academy for Independent Living in Lake Worth, it's fishing day.
"They love the fishing part, they love going fishing," said Seagull Academy Principal, Christine Farley.
This is a school for kids with developmental disabilities and economic disadvantages. So a program like the one offered by the non-profit Florida Fishing Academy, which includes the "Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs" course, can really make a difference.
"Some of the neighborhoods that they grow up in aren't that great, so their access to healthy after-school activities may be somewhat limited," said Farley.
The kids participate in boating drills, or at least activities with a boating theme, which could be helping them in ways of which they aren't aware.
"Fishing has been proven to be a natural motivator. It also hopefully makes them excited about something that they can do on their own," said Captain Richard Brochu, Executive Director of the Florida Fishing Academy.
And with grants and donations from groups like the City of Boynton Beach, the Sun Sentinel, and the Fish Florida Tag the kids aren't just learning about fishing but also about preserving the environment.
One of the best parts of the program is when donated fishing rods are given to the kids, so they can use them throughout the school year, and eventually take them home as their own.
And you never can tell, a hobby like fishing could become something much more!
"If they feel like there is nothing else out there that they would like to do, we also show them that the fishing industry is a very large industry," said Brochu.
The Florida Fishing Academy hopes to expand their teachings to many other schools across the area, so that the children take their lessons back into the classrooms, and into their lives.
"So that my kids and their kids will have fish for generations to come," said Brochu.
On the web: Florida Fishing Academy
