Cedar Key students earn points for environmental scholarship while teaching others how to fish

Most school children would agree that summertime is the time to relax and slow down before school starts in the fall. But a few Cedar Key youth spent their time volunteering with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission`s (FWC) Nature Coast Fishing for Youth (NCFY) program, teaching others how to fish and assisting with the effort that taught 219 students in just 11 days.

Many of the volunteers had already completed NCFY during a previous summer and have dedicated their time to working with younger area youth who participated this summer in a clinic. Students donated anywhere from two to 20 hours and were rewarded not only with the satisfaction of helping others but by earning points toward an environmental scholarship worth up to $1,000.

The Cedar Key Energy Advisory Panel will offer two installments of $500 to the student with the most points (points are accumulated in middle school through high school); who has completed a 500 words or less essay; and who has been accepted into a college or a technical or trade school. The recipient will receive $500 the first semester and $500 the second semester.

Ten students in all - Tyler Sloan, Emily Colson, Taryn Epperson, Tyler Miller, Daniel Allen, Dillan Allen, Larry Twinam, Darius Berger, Ben Kuhman and Dylan Clayton - volunteered with NCFY this summer and started to earn points toward winning the scholarship. The top two point earners from this summer`s NCFY were Ben Kuhman, age 12 and heading into seventh grade, who volunteered for eight hours, and Dylan Clayton, age 14 and going into ninth grade, for his outstanding 23 hours!

I owe a big "thank you" to all the volunteers who helped make this summer`s fishing clinics a success. I look forward to next summer! Good luck earning points and good luck the new school year.