WITH
PURPOSE
FISHING & TOURING
Text or call: 1-787-405-4100
What is Caribbean Fishing Academy?
The Caribbean Fishing Academy (CFA) is a nonprofit organization formed in 2013 for the purpose of empowering at-risk youth and youth in general with positive life skills, alternatives to destructive or antisocial behavior and a sense of responsibility for shaping the world around them. CFA uses fishing as a vehicle for delivering these lessons, weaving effective life, environmental and social skills into a youth-oriented, hands-on educational programs through youth tournaments, curriculum, workshops and field trips. We are the sister academy of the Florida Fishing Academy.
How does CFA works?
Our programs tap into that passion, using fishing and other water activities to arm our students with new skills, a sense of accomplishment, self-esteem and a desire to protect our natural resources. Participating in fishing-based programs also makes them more open to other areas of instruction, especially after participating in the academy’s Botvin Lifeskills Training Program. This program has been proven to reduce the use of tobacco by 87%, alcohol by 60%, marijuana by 75% and other drugs by 68%, while also reducing school delinquency, sexual misbehavior and violence, according to results published by the American Medical Association (AMA).
What makes the CFA different from similar organizations?
While a number of valuable and effective programs target at-risk kids, CFA uses an asset that is available to everyone: The spectacular marine world of the Caribbean . Fishing and the water are part of the fabric of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and there is not a more effective way to introduce our youth to a richer and more productive life. Our program capitalizes on these natural resources to engage children — tomorrow’s anglers, boaters, marine biologists and environmental stewards — in fishing as a sport and livelihood, while involving them in the effort to preserve our fragile marine environment. Since our inception, the CFA has used this technique to hook well over 2,000 kids throughout Puerto Rico.
What are the CFA’s goals for the future?
Our goal is to increase access to our programs by 1,000 kids per year. This year, CFA will end engaging and instructing over 2,000 local youths. Projections:
2020 goal: 3,000
2021 goal: 4,000
2022 goal: 5,000
How can you make a difference with the CFA?
Documented evidence shows that every $1 spent redirecting disadvantaged youth saves $25 in costs that would be spent on the criminal justice system. Your contribution will be put to work engaging, inspiring, educating and positively redirecting at-risk, disadvantaged and handicapped youth in Puerto Rico. The direct effect will be a reduction in the local crime rate, unemployment, teen pregnancy, drug use and youth violence, improving the safety of the neighborhoods and streets right here at home. Want to help?