Yankee Town revives outdoor-education program; students earn boater�s license, hunter safety and CPR

Mrs. Ricky Richardson told the Levy County School Board that Yankee Town has restored an eighth-grade outdoor-education class that carries half a high-school credit and focuses on hands-on skills, leadership and environmental learning.

Richardson described activities that include archery (teaching supported by the National Archery in the Classroom Program and a local coach), boating and canoe trips supported by FWC and the Coast Guard, tent-building and fire safety, and first-aid and CPR training provided with support from Levy EMS and local partners. She said students earned boaters licenses and completed hunter-safety coursework, and that CPR/first-aid training cost $20 per student and was paid from the middle-school account so students did not have to shoulder the fee.

Richardson credited community partners and local vendors—Jerrys Archery in Ocala refurbished equipment through a grant written by the coach, and SWC agreed to refurbish bows annually at no cost. She said the goal is to provide marketable skills (for example, babysitters using CPR certification) and lasting memories for students; the board praised the program during the meeting.

The presentation emphasized using local partnerships and small grants to reduce equipment costs and to reestablish a program that had existed historically at Yankee Town. Board members complimented the program and described seeing archery in action during school visits.