Hi all,  
    I come to you guys with two questions. My significant other is a speical ed teacher at a small private school. They are looking to set up a small fishing program for the young kids to help get them exposed to the life long passion of fishing that can potentionally help them cope with some of thier disabilities. My question to you guys is are there any companies or programs that donate/work with  schools to get the necessary tackle needed to get going?  
 

 Thanks for your help!
   Rob 

 

You might start here

 

http://www.fishnkids.com/index.html

Our collegiate anglers volunteer for a couple regional groups (for example: http://www.futurefisherman.org/f3programs/hooked-on-fishing-not-on-drugs-hofnod/).  Might just have to do some digging around to find non-profits in your area.

 

You're talking about young kids, so keep it simple.  Zebco 33s with bobbers and worms will run you about $30 per setup.  A couple hundred bucks gets you started.  Equally important will be finding an accessible location that can give you some easy (and successful) fishing.  Perhaps most important will be finding volunteers that can help teach the kiddos the basics, bait hooks, take off fish, and snap some photos.

 

I would suggest contacting local local fishing clubs or sporting goods stores to see if they could donate anything (time, tackle, water).  If coming up with sponsorship proves difficult, this sounds like a perfect use case for a GoFundMe campaign!  Put me down for $20!