MINNAQUA Program

Authors: Michelle Kelly and Roland Sigurdson

In 1989, the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources invested in creating the MinnAqua Program to provide education programming that would increase knowledge and understanding about aquatic ecosystems, management, and resource issues; help others acquire skills related to angling recreation, careers, and teaching; and foster better stewardship of the state’s natural resources with the primary goal of assisting Minnesotans in understanding the management, conservation, and stewardship of our aquatic resources, and the role that angling plays. Today, MinnAqua stands as a highly successful program.  It has engaged many thousands through hands-on place-based instruction.  With a diversity of activities MinnAqua strives to reach underserved populations, various ethnic cultures (especially recent immigrant groups), parent/child groups (single parents), youth organizations, seniors, women, and disabled.  Partners are many including the MN DNR Fishing in the Neighborhood Program. Historically, MinnAqua served primarily non-formal audiences.  Beginning in 2000, MinnAqua set out to expand its outreach and effectiveness by targeting formal school settings. The new Fishing…Get In The Habitat! MinnAqua Leaders Guide serves both formal and non-formal educators. The curriculum was created using state-of-the-art research, guidelines and standards: MN GreenPrint-A State Plan for Environmental Education, the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Guidelines for Excellence, the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) Best Practices for Angling, Boating and Stewardship Education, the Environmental Literacy Scope and Sequence, and National and State Academic Standards.  Additionally, summative evaluations were conducted to ensure methodology was substantiated and results effective.