The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will host the fifth annual Tennessee Outdoors Youth Summit (TOYS) on June 8-13, for high school students from across Tennessee. The students will be introduced to many outdoor activities at the event to be held at the Montgomery County Shooting Complex near Clarksville.
Among the different outdoor activities that the students will have an opportunity to become introduced to will include boating, hunting, trapping, archery, photography, marksmanship, plant identification, forestry, camping, water quality, trap shooting, skeet shooting, wildlife identification, and several classes with wildlife and fish biology as the topic. The summit is designed to deepen the students’ appreciation for outdoor-related activities.
Students will participate in hands-on classes that teach the importance of the natural resources and their management. Instructors will be wildlife and fisheries biologists, wildlife officers, college professors, professional shooting coaches and experts from specific fields of interest. Students can plan on each class they sign up for to be two to four hours in length and will include hands-on application in that subject.
Once students are accepted to the program, they will be able to attend at least 10 classes during the week. During this week, the students will have the opportunity to gain certification in many different programs. TOYS will provide the youth opportunities to learn more in depth about hunting, fishing, and shooting. Students, who are interested in a career in the natural resources field, will also enjoy the experiences that normally are not learned until they are members of the work force.
The TWRA is hosting TOYS in cooperation with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Foundation.
The cost to attend TOYS is $300 for the week-long experience. Scholarships are available and based on financial need.
Students interested in attending should log on to www.tnwildlife.org and submit an application by May 2. Applicants will be required to pay a deposit of $150 to the TWRF. Students wishing to receive a scholarship only need to submit an application form indicating that they want a scholarship.
Enrollment is limited to 120 students and if an application is not accepted, refunds will be returned in full. If an application is chosen, the successful applicant will be sent a password and web address to the location of the scheduling packet. Students will select their classes of interest and pay the balance of the cost of the program.
Students will be housed in a hotel in Clarksville and bused each day to the complex. All meals are covered in the fee.
Students will be assigned a roommate with two students to a room. If applicants have someone they know they would prefer as a roommate, it should be indicated on the application. Applications can be downloaded from www.tnwildlife.org or www.twrf.net.
Parents or guardians will be required to bring students into town on Sunday night and pick them up either Friday night at the awards ceremony or the following morning. Rooms will be available, for a fee, if parents wish to attend the banquet Friday evening and stay the night. Students will be required to be picked up by 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 14.
For questions or additional information, contact Jereme Odom at 931 284-2057 or email Jereme.Odom@tn.gov.