Women's Outdoor Skills Academy: Coming Your Way in Late 2025!

collage shows women enjoying outdoor activities: boating, archery, duck hunting, gun safety, bird watching, and fishing


Formerly known as Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW), Women’s Outdoor Skills Academy is programming designed for women over 18 years of age that focuses on building outdoor skills related to shooting, hunting, angling and conservation.  We want to support women in gaining confidence and skills in the outdoors, so they feel comfortable in their ability to participate in outdoors skills activities on their own.

a woman smiles over her right shoulder while holding a fishing rod

What is a Skills Academy event like?

Women's Outdoor Skills Academy events can be held in a single day or an entire weekend.  Events will be held across the state throughout the year.  You’ll experience a variety of classes but will pick a specific skill to spend the majority of your time on during the weekend training.

Women attending Skills Academy events are not experts.  In fact, we anticipate that you may never have experienced some of these skills before.  We are here to support you in a fun, safe and non-competitive environment.  

This program is for you if…

  • you have never tried one of the many outdoor skills such as hunting, shooting, fishing, hiking, etc. and want to give it shot.
  • you are a novice and would like to improve your skills.
  • you would like to learn a new skill, but don’t have the equipment to try it out.
  • you already do some outdoor skills but would like to learn new ones.
  • you enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded individuals, and you seek time away to reconnect with nature.
a woman aims a rifle at a clay target while an instructor looks on

Volunteer Instructors

Instructors come from a variety of backgrounds including agency staff, partner agencies and the private sector.  Instructors are giving their time with the Skills Academy because they believe in the camaraderie and skill-building that are created from day- and weekend-long experiences.

We are always looking for new instructors, assistant instructors and general volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete an application form. Background checks will be conducted for all potential volunteers.  

Apply to Be a Volunteer Instructor


Scholarships

Limited partial scholarships will be available to support women in attending a WOSA event.  More information on scholarships will be posted in 2025.
 

Coordinator Contact Info:

Tanya Poole 
Email  
Phone: 828-329-3472
 

More Information Coming Soon!