Mentee Registration

Mentee Caregiver or Guardian Guidelines

Thank you for checking out The Mayfly Project! The Mayfly Project is a national nonprofit on a mission to support children in, or adopted out of, foster care with the sport of fly fishing! Fly fishing is a great tool for children in foster care to have fun, build self-esteem, develop life-skills, and find a new connection to the outdoors.

How do you register a child for The Mayfly Project?

Check our location map to confirm there is a project in your location. Scroll down and fill out this registration form below!

Once we receive the registration, we will reach out to you and let you know the status of the project and if the child is approved for the project. Please read through the notes below prior to registration.

Email us if you have any questions about this process: Kaitlin@themayflyproject.com.

*Note, please only register children that are currently in foster care or have been in foster care, and over the age of 8 years old, unless otherwise directed.

Austin, Texas

Bend, Oregon

Bennett Spring, Missouri

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Denver, Colorado Project

Fort Collins, Colorado Project

Grand Rapids, Michigan Project

Little Rock, Arkansas, Second Chance Ranch Project

Fredericksburg, Virginia Project

Pearisburg, Virginia Project

Pikes Peak, Colorado Project

St. Petersburg, Florida Project

Texarkana, Arkansas Project

Seattle, Washington Project

Houston, Texas Project

Smethport, Pennsylvania Project

Santa Fe, New Mexico Project

Little Rock, Arkansas Methodist Children's Home Project

Cincinnati, Ohio Project

Missoula, Montana Project

Boone, North Carolina Project

West Bend, Wisconsin Project

Silver Spring, Maryland Project

Idaho Falls, Idaho Project

Bozeman, Montana Project

Hartford, Connecticut Project

Atlanta, Georgia Project

Los Angeles, California Project

Raleigh, North Carolina Project

San Antonio, Texas Project

Fayetteville, Arkansas Project

Columbus, Ohio Project

Boise, Idaho Project

Auburn, Alabama Project

Salt Lake City, Utah Project

Las Vegas, Nevada Project

Portland, Oregon Project

San Francisco, California Project

London, United Kingdom Project

Phoenix, Arizona Project

Cleveland, Ohio Project

Montrose, Colorado Project

Scranton, Pennsylvania Project

Morgantown, West Virginia Project

Millbrook, New York Project

Huntsville, Alabama Project

Klamath Falls, Oregon Project

Kimberling City, Missouri Project

Tucson, Arizona Project

Birmingham, Alabama Project

Rochester, New York Project

Roanoke, Virginia Project

Medford, Oregon Project

Detroit, Michigan Project

Anchorage, Alaska Project

Brighton, MA

Erie, Pennsylvania

What’s a Project?

A project consists of 5 outings where the children learn about fly fishing, taking care of the environment, and have a blast catching fish with our mentor team!

We encourage and invite foster parents, parents, group home staff, or caseworkers to be present at these outings to ensure the child feels comfortable.

Find out more here: Projects | The Mayfly Project

What we do at our outings

  • Meet at multiple locations once every 2-4 weeks; outings last 1-4 hours, depending on the outing time set by the lead mentor.
  • Mentors teach fly fishing skills, such as casting, knot tying, fly tying, picking flies, reading the water, and catch and release fishing. We also teach on topics that we call, the characteristics of an angler, that include having patience, building self-confidence, finding grit, taking care of the environment, and seeking wisdom. The children also earn buttons for participation as they participate in our conservation initiative.
  • We provide a 1:1 mentor ratio, but we do everything in a group and have a 3 in a group safety policy. Providing a physically and mentally safe environment for the children we mentor is our number one priority! The second is fun!
  • At the final outing, every child that has participated with our projects will receive fly fishing gear to keep and a specialized curriculum to continue to learn about fly fishing!

Who are the Mentors?

Our mentors are volunteers from your community that believe in the healing power and the fun of fly fishing and care greatly about leading others to this sport. Mentors go through an application process, reference check, background check, interview, and training specific to TMP. We have trauma informed care videos for our mentors and a handbook that teaches on these topics:

  • About Children in Foster Care
  • Trauma Informed Care and Inclusivity
  • Communication and Behavior Response Guidelines
  • Handling Escalation and Disruptive Behaviors
  • Conflict Resolution and Mandated Reporting
  • Tips for Being a Great Mentor
  • Tips for Being a Great Fly Fishing Guide
  • The Mayfly Project Program Rules

Caregiver/Guardian’s Role:

In order for the child to fully experience the benefits of fly fishing, it’s essential they meet with the mentors on a consistent basis, so we ask that you work with us to ensure the child can attend all of the outings. If there are any barriers to this consistency, please let us know how we can help! We only allow a certain number of participants, so please do not register if you cannot commit to the project.

We understand that youth in this position have been through a tremendous amount of change and abandonment by adults, so we are committed to never cancelling an outing unless there are safety issues, such as extreme weather.

Please register the child in your care using this confidential form, and include anything that we may need to know to ensure your child has a great time with us! Thank you for your time!!

Mentee Registration Form

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