What is Caribbean Fishing Academy?

The Caribbean Fishing Academy (CFA) is a nonprofit organization formed in 2013 to empower at-risk youth, and youth in general, with positive life skills, alternatives to destructive or antisocial behavior, and a sense of responsibility for shaping the world around them. CFA uses fishing as a vehicle for delivering these lessons, weaving life, environmental and social skills into hands-on educational programs through youth tournaments, curriculum, workshops and field trips. We are the sister academy of the Florida Fishing Academy.

Our programs tap into kids' natural interest in fishing and other water activities to build new skills, a sense of accomplishment, self-esteem and a desire to protect our natural resources. Participating in fishing-based programs also makes them more open to other instruction, especially the academy's Botvin Lifeskills Training Program, which has been shown to reduce tobacco use by 87%, alcohol by 60%, marijuana by 75% and other drugs by 68%, while also reducing school delinquency, misbehavior and violence, according to the American Medical Association.

CFA uses an asset available to everyone: the spectacular marine world of the Caribbean. Fishing and the water are part of the fabric of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and there is no more effective way to introduce our youth to a richer, more productive life. Our program engages children, tomorrow's anglers, boaters, marine biologists and environmental stewards, in fishing as a sport and livelihood, while involving them in preserving our fragile marine environment. Since our inception, CFA has used this technique to reach well over 5,000 kids throughout Puerto Rico.

We have recently shared our program with the Bahamas (Nassau), and our goal is to increase access to our programs throughout the Caribbean: keep actively impacting communities across Puerto Rico, then expand to the US Virgin Islands, then the British Virgin Islands.

Documented evidence shows that every $1 spent redirecting disadvantaged youth saves $25 in costs that would otherwise go to the criminal justice system. Your contribution engages, inspires, educates and positively redirects at-risk and disadvantaged youth in Puerto Rico, reducing local crime, unemployment, teen pregnancy, drug use and youth violence, and improving the safety of the neighborhoods and streets right here at home.