MENTORING FOSTER CHILDREN THROUGH FLY FISHING
The Mayfly Project is a 501(c)(3) national organization that uses fly fishing as a catalyst to mentor and support children in foster care. The Mission of The Mayfly Project is to support children in foster care through fly fishing and introduce them to their local water ecosystems, with a hope that connecting them to a rewarding hobby will provide an opportunity for foster children to have fun, build confidence, and develop a meaningful connection with the outdoors.
The Value of The Mayfly Project for Children in Foster Care
How can fly fishing improve the life of a child in foster care? A quote from a caseworker from a project outing answers this question…
“I couldn’t believe the change in behavior and spirit prior to our outing with TMP and then post outing—it was night and day. The children came feeling nervous and struggling to stay positive, and then once they started participating in the project their behavior and attitude changed. Seeing the children smiling, feeling good about their accomplishments and themselves, enjoying time in nature, and excited about life, was worth more than we could have ever expected.”
Our Work
Mentoring
The Mayfly Project is committed to our 1:1 mentor ratio when working with children in foster care because we know they value time with their mentor, and it’s the most efficient way to teach fly fishing. The memories made by celebrating successes, working through wind knots together, and giving high fives after letting go a fish, all surmount to essential experiences for our mentees.
Conservation
During each project outing the children we mentor participate in our Conservation Initiative. We teach the three C’s: Catch and Release, Clean Rivers, and Contamination. Our mentees join in a cycle of healing by taking care of the waters we are privileged to experience and the fish we are honored to catch and release.
Our Projects
The Mayfly Project’s standard program is to mentor a foster child through five sessions we call “stages”, just like the life cycle of a Mayfly. Within these stages, the children learn line management, casting techniques, knot tying, some etymology, river safety, mending tactics, hook setting, catch and release tactics, and the value of conservation. At the end of the five stages the child is gifted their own gear to continue to pursue fly fishing.
How Do I Get Involved?
Mentor
Attend an Event
Give
Everyone needs an escape. For me, my escape is fly fishing. During some of the most trying times of my adult life I have used a fly rod as a coping mechanism. The river is a place where I can immerse myself in God’s creation and forget about everything but mending.
– Jess Westbrook, Founder
Updates
Giving Tuesday, November 29th, 2022!!
Thank you for being an integral part of The Mayfly Project this year! When we say, "It takes a village," we truly mean it! This year we added 9 new projects and 106 new mentors, and served over 380 children in foster care! That's 1,900 days on the water this year,...
Interview with TMP Lead and Clinical Social Worker, Kimberly Cordero
Kimberly Cordero brought The Mayfly Project to Boise two years ago and is our lead mentor for this project. We are also honored to have her as a TMP sounding board to ensure we are creating safe projects for the kids we mentor nationally. Kimberly is not just a great...
TMP’s BUY A FLY EVENT is LIVE!!!!
We're excited to announce our annual Buy a Fly Event is now live! From September 29th to October 31st, purchase a fly/flies and you're entered to win awesome prizes! All proceeds go towards supporting The Mayfly Project's first year projects, which means more children...
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