Fishing was women’s work in Jovan McNeill’s family. His great-grandmother taught his mother how to cast her lines and reel in her catches. McNeill’s mother passed the family skill on to her son, taking him to Gandy and Morris Bridges once a month to reconnect outdoors. In the business of a single-parent household, that quiet time together was invaluable.
McNeill wanted to share those formative experiences with others, giving kids a chance to put down their phones and bond with their families and nature. In response, he founded Cloud Nine Outdoors (CNO). To support this work, our Foundation awarded CNO a grant for monthly archery and hunting programs designed for women and minority youth. Thanks to the funding, each participant spent two days at a shooting range, and then took their skills into the woods to hunt invasive wild hogs using archery or rifles. Successful hunters learned how to process their game.
In addition to exposing children to new experiences, McNeill is creating a generation of outdoor recreation and conservation advocates. CNO’s programs incorporate animal identification, game species anatomy, and environmental stewardship. It also gives kids a source of consistency; they stay with CNO leaders throughout the year, year after year. While teaching a love of nature, leaders also impart life skills. Their participants have a 100% graduation rate, and all have gone on to college or trade schools with scholarships from CNO. Some of the students have even found their career paths because of the program.
McNeill and his mom still find time to fish together, though with her serving on the board they spend more time talking about CNO.
