If you are a student aged 12 to 15 with an interest in natural resources and law enforcement, Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police is once again offering summer Youth Academies.
The Youth Academy is a five-day program designed to teach youth about boating safety, hunter safety, and how to protect our natural resources while looking to nurture the relationship between our law enforcement officers and the community. Participants in the Youth Academy attend tuition-free.
This year’s offerings include a Basic Youth Academy and two Advanced Youth Academies:
· Natural Resources Police Basic Youth Academy (New Castle County) –
Monday through Friday, June 25-29, Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center, 1205 River Road, New Castle, DE 19720;
Application Deadline: Friday, May 25, 2018
· Natural Resources Police Advanced Youth Academy (Kent County) –
Tuesday through Saturday, July 10-14, Little Creek Hunter Education Training Center, 3018 Bayside Drive, Dover, DE 19901;
Application Deadline: Friday, May 25, 2018
· Natural Resources Police Advanced Youth Academy (New Castle County) –
Tuesday through Saturday, July 17-21, Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center, 1205 River Road, New Castle, DE 19720;
Application Deadline: Friday, May 25, 2018
The Basic Youth Academy is limited to the first 20 qualified applicants, with priority given to those who have not already completed a hunter safety course or boating safety course when the academy begins. Applications must include a 250-word essay on why the applicant wants to take part in the Academy and what Delaware’s natural resources mean to him or her. Students who complete the program will receive both their hunter and boating safety certifications.
The Advanced Youth Academies are for those who wish to continue learning what it is like to be a Natural Resources Police Officer, as well as learning additional outdoor skills. The Advanced Academies are open to youth ages 12 to 15 years old who have either completed the Basic Youth Academy or have already earned their hunter safety and boating safety certifications. An overnight camping excursion is included and parent/guardian participation is mandatory for this portion.
The Advanced Youth Academies are limited to the first 15 qualified applicants, with priority given to those who have already completed the Basic Youth Academy. Applications must include a 500-word essay on either what they learned from the Basic Youth Academy or, if they did not attend, what the applicant learned when they took their hunter and boating safety courses.
Applications are available online at de.gov/fwenforcement, and at DNREC’s licensing desk in the Richardson & Robbins Building, 89 Kings Highway, Dover, DE 19901.
Opportunities to support the Youth Academies are available. Without the generous support and donations from our community businesses, private organizations and individuals, the youth academies would not be successful.