Southlake MS coach awarded for providing hunter’s safety and boater’s ed licenses in-class

DALLAS – Feb 9, 2021 – The leading provider of in-school outdoor education to schools nationwide – the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation – named Southlake, Texas, Carroll Middle School’s Nathan Butler as its 2020 Educator of the Year.

The award will be presented Friday, Feb. 12, at the Dallas Safari Club’s Virtual Convention.

“I love anything to do with the outdoors, and it is a privilege to interest young men and women in it, too,” Butler said. “The Outdoor Adventures curriculum from the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation (OTF) is exactly what’s needed to do that successfully.”

The OTF Outdoor Adventures program that Butler teaches is a fun, interactive course where students learn lifelong skills including angler education, archery, hunter education, boater education, orienteering, survival skills, camping, outdoor cooking, challenge courses, backpacking, mountain bike camping, paddle sports, rock climbing, shooting sports, CPR/first aid and fauna, flora and wilderness medicine.

“Nathan is growing his program in terms of male and female students participating from every socioeconomic group,” said OTF Executive Director Sean McLelland. “Plus, he has a large percentage of students obtaining hunter and boater education certifications. His commitment and enthusiasm are an example of what an outdoor educator can mean in a young person’s life.”

In naming Butler Educator of the Year, OTF cited his efforts in:

Now in his fourth year as a coach and outdoor educator at Carroll, Butler grew up in Southlake and graduated from Carroll High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU), where he also played football. He earned his master’s degree in sports management while coaching football at SWOSU as a graduate assistant.

In addition to teaching the Outdoor Adventures curriculum at Carroll Middle School, he serves as sponsor for Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Carroll Bass Team, Carroll Clay Target Team, and the first Carroll NASP Archery Club, which he founded.

Founded in 1981 in Dallas, Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation is a public nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Schools pay just $1,000 for teachers to receive OTF’s Outdoor Adventures curriculum, training and ongoing support. For many schools, grant money offsets the cost, plus OTF offers matching funds for equipment as new schools join the program. The resulting classes can be taught as a P.E. course, local elective or with agricultural science and wildlife management.

The Outdoor Adventures education program is offered in more than 643 schools in 40 states nationwide reaching over 60,000 students each year. For a complete listing of the courses offered through the Outdoor Adventures program please visit www.GoOTF.com.

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Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation

Since 1981, the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation (OTF) has made its mission to teach outdoor education and promote wildlife conservation through the Outdoor Adventures program, currently in 643 schools across the country. The curriculum, impacting more than 285,000 students since it began, is accessed by 60,000 students annually in 40 states, including archery, shooting, fishing, camping, first aid, boater safety, hunter education, outdoor cooking and more. The OTF also provides grants for equipment, free workshops and teacher training and is accredited by state parks and wildlife commissions from each state. More info about Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation, and how to bring the Outdoor Adventure curriculum to a school near you, go to gootf.com.