Summative evaluation of MinnAqua’s angling and aquatic education clinics

MinnAqua, a program of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource's Division of Fish and Wildlife, strives to educate Minnesota's youth about angling and aquatics and increase their interest and participation in angling. A summative evaluation was carried out to examine the effectiveness of MinnAqua clinics in terms of two evaluation questions: (a) To what extent are MinnAqua clinics meeting their goals? and (b) To what extent does participation in MinnAqua clinics increase children's knowledge of angling and aquatic resources as identified by the MinnAqua key concepts? To answer these questions, pre- and post-surveys were administered to the summer 2005 population of MinnAqua clinic participants ages 8 - 12. Clinics met the four goals measured. However, clinics were most effective in addressing the goal of increasing participants' angling skills. Overall, clinic participants had an increase in conceptual knowledge. Girls had a greater increase from pre to post than boys, while prior fishing experience and age did not affect increases in knowledge. The appendix of this report includes surveys and consent forms.