The Cumberland County Juvenile Probation Department began a Mentor Fishing Program in 2024 with the goal of matching youth to an adult mentor and teaching them about fish habitats, water safety, equipment and techniques, outdoor manners and protecting our water resources. A secondary goal of the program is to enhance our Evidence Based Practices activities that address competency development in our youth by providing a positive outdoor activity to pursue. We have experienced improved professional alliance and overall behavior among many of the youth who have participated in the program. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission provided mentor training to four (4) of our probation officers and certified the Juvenile Probation Office as a loaner site for Cumberland County residents who would like to borrow equipment to experience fishing on one of the many waterways in our area. This year we have mentored over twenty (20) youth at various locations in Pennsylvania including Camp Hebron, Opossum Lake, Yellow Breeches Creek, Pinchot Lake, Lakeside Marine, Lake Jean, and Cowans Gap Lake. We appreciate the overwhelming support by the families and youth who we have served and appreciate the partnership with the Pennsylvania Fish and Game Commission, Cumberland Valley Trout Unlimited and our private fishing locations. We also plan to partner with other mentor fishing programs that have been established in Dauphin and Lebanon County in the near future. Below are some pictures and testimonies from the youth we served in 2024.