FISHING FOR ALL ABILITIES & MENTAL HEALTH

CAST AND CONNECT - "Inclusive" Youth Fishing Club

PROGRAM UPDATES:

10/10 update... LABF Clean-up this Sunday being moved to 10/18 due to weather. We can't wait to see everyone next Tuesday at Sandy Point State Park. Huge thanks to DNR Natural Resource Police, our food sponsors The Lodge of Annapolis and our awesome boat Captains taking us out in the Bay to fish! See sponsors 👉

LABF had over 30 middle and high school students enroll for this pilot in less than a week from launch and filled up 8 sessions with all on waitlists! Most of these students are dealing with a different abilities and about half claim to have had some kind of mental health challeneges in the last year. This is exactly who we wanted to meet us by the water to Cast and Connect!

CAST AND CONNECT QUICK LINKS

- See Cast and Connect Fall '26 schedule w/ Locations HERE!

- See Pics & Video from Fall '26 Cast and Connect sessions HERE!

- Donate or sponsor Cast and Connect? Click HERE!

- Cast & Connect Spring 2027 Pre-registration ENROLL HERE!

Why Cast & Connect?

Across Maryland, students with and without different abilities need more opportunities to learn, connect, and build friendships together. Too often, differences can create barriers to understanding and belonging. Cast & Connect creates an inclusive environment where middle and high school students participate side by side through fishing, outdoor education, and peer mentoring. These shared experiences help students better understand autism and individual differences, develop empathy and confidence, form meaningful peer connections, and experience firsthand what true inclusion and acceptance can look like. That’s where Cast & Connect comes in.

Lucky & Blessed Fishing (LABF) is inviting middle & high school school

students from across Anne Arundel County to participate in our Fall 2026

Cast & Connect Youth Wellness Program.

Cast & Connect is an inclusive 8-week outdoor wellness and mentorship program using fishing, nature, environmental education, and positive relationships to help students spend more time outdoors, make new friends, build confidence, and take a healthy break from phones, social media, video games, and everyday stress.

Sessions will be 8 consecutive Tuesdays, Sept 15 - Nov 3, 2026, 4:30p-6:30p with the last date being our Program Wrap Celebration and appreciation Dinner for all our participants their families and our amazing collaborative partners. The awards dinner will be later to accommodate families schedules (6:30p-8:30p).

A major theme of Cast & Connect is removing social barriers. Around the water, we want students to leave behind the labels, groups, and categories that can separate them at school. Students from different schools, backgrounds, abilities, and social circles participate together as one group, discovering what they have in common through shared outdoor experiences.

Who Can Participate?

• Middle & High school age students (Grades 6–12)

• High School & College Students can support through Student Mentor Program

• Students from public, private, homeschool, church, and community programs

• Approximately 20 students for the Fall pilot

• Schools/groups are encouraged to refer 3–6 students

• No fishing or outdoor experience is required

Who Would Be a Good Fit?

Students who could benefit from:

• More time outdoors and away from screens

• Positive adult and peer mentorship

• New friendships outside their normal social circles

• Increased confidence and independence

• Breaking down social barriers and feeling a stronger sense of belonging

• A positive outlet for everyday stress

• Trying something new in a supportive environment

• Fishing, nature, and environmental education

* LABF programs are always ALL Abilities, so students with IEPs and students with different abilities are welcome and encouraged to participate. Cast & Connect is intentionally designed to bring students together rather than separate them by ability, school, background, or social category. Think... "The Breakfast Club Movie" socially breaking down barriers but through fishing, building relationships and outdoor learning.

Remove Social Barriers

Our program goals:

Break Social Barriers
Build New Friendships
Reduce Isolation
Increase Confidence
Connect Beyond Screens
Build a Sense of Belonging
Bring All Abilities Together
Create Community Through the Outdoors

LABF wants to measure whether students develop new relationships with peers

outside their usual social groups and feel more comfortable connecting with people of different backgrounds and abilities.

Measuring the Impact

Students will complete brief pre- and post-program assessments to help LABF

measure changes in outdoor activity, recreational screen time, confidence, social

connections, sense of belonging, wellness, and environmental awareness.

This is more than fishing.
It’s access.
It’s inclusion.
It’s connection.

Interested in our Spring Cohort?

We are only enrolling 20 students per cohort, so please complete the application below to be included in this exciting new program and RSVP for any and all events you can make at www.labfishing.org/events.

Schools, counselors, teachers, social workers, student-support teams, and families are encouraged to share this opportunity with middle & high school students who could benefit.

Questions? Call 844-748-FISH (3474)

Cast & Connect. Different schools. Different abilities. Different backgrounds. One community by the water.