Have you ever considered sponsoring or requesting a chapter matching grant to fund an educator from your community to attend one of the six workshops scheduled at AWLS this summer? Our goal is to fill every seat in each workshop, which holds a maximum of 40 educators. Chapter fundraising season is coming to an end and sponsoring an educator to attend AWLs with your hard-earned fundraising dollars is a rewarding way to spend those funds. The tuition fee is $900 per person and includes airport transfers, lodging, meals and a once-in-a-lifetime educational experience. And, on the last day of the workshop, attendees have the option to partake in a whitewater rafting trip down the scenic Snake River. The tuition fee boils down to a little over $100 per day for the seven-night, eight-day stay, which is minimal compared to the valuable conservation education training educators take back to their students.
There are many worthwhile projects funded by SCI and SCI Foundation chapters. Fundraising dollars only stretch so far making it difficult to choose which ones to fund. If you would like to send an educator to AWLS, but do not have enough money, you can request a chapter matching grant through SCIF Sables. With this grant, chapters receive a 50-percent rebate of the tuition fee once the workshop concludes. In addition, educators who complete an AWLS workshop, referred to as AWLS Alumni, are eligible to apply for a complimentary HOW (Hands on Wildlife) Kit to use in their classroom. Supplies are limited, however, and are awarded based on availability. The benefits of teaching conservation education to educators are far reaching and Sables work hard to raise funds for that purpose.
As mentioned, we want to fill every seat at AWLS this summer, but we need your help. If your chapter can fully sponsor an educator to attend AWLS, it helps us with our mission to further the understanding of our outdoor heritage, including the positive role of hunting, through our AWLS education program. If you have the financial means but do not have an educator to sponsor, contact Todd Roggenkamp, SCIF assistant director of education, at [email protected] (520) 954-0664 and he will assist in finding a worthy candidate. For those Chapters that are experiencing fundraising hardships, Sables has limited full tuition sponsorships. Contact Todd to see if this is available for your recommended educator or to discuss other chapter matching grant questions.
Folks, this is a worthwhile investment as educators help us reach today’s youth about conservation education. If we hope to preserve our hunting heritage, we need to introduce them to wildlife and the important role hunters play in conserving it. Please consider sponsoring an educator to attend AWLS. Your children and grandchildren will be glad you did.–Robin Jerauld