Fish & Wildlife Volunteers — Fish Education & Hunter Education Programs

New Jersey’s Hooked on Fishing Program

Fishing is an activity that can be started at any age by any person, regardless of gender, physical size or athletic ability. The goal of New Jersey’s Hooked on Fishing – Not on Drugs (HOFNOD) program is to encourage school-age children to avoid tobacco, drug and alcohol usage by providing alternative activities that involve learning to fish, appreciating aquatic and environmental resources, and developing positive life skills. The program will provide students with access to extracurricular outlets that utilize New Jersey’s incredible outdoor recreational assets. NJDEP Fish & Wildlife wants to partner with schools, community- and faith-based youth organizations willing to provide ongoing and sustained engagement in HOFNOD activities throughout the year. For more information, visit hofnod.nj.gov.

Trout in the Classroom (TIC)

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is a science-based program that teaches children the importance of coldwater conservation through a hands-on learning approach. More than 40,000 New Jersey students participate in the TIC program annually.

Schools receive trout eggs in October from our Pequest Trout Hatchery. Students hatch and raise the trout, monitor water quality, learn fish biology, anatomy and much more as part of this cross-curricular, hands-on format. At the end of the school year, students release their fish into approved streams.

Trout in the Classroom is an exciting, inexpensive program enlivening year-round curricula nationwide. For more information about the TIC program, visit dep.nj.gov/njfw/education/trout-in-the-classroom.