OUR MISSION
The guiding philosophy at Deerassic Park Education Center is to reconnect youth and families with the outdoors through activities and recreation that help foster and develop a life long appreciation for the outdoors and nature.
Seeing a trend in the late 1990’s and into the early 2000’s of declining youth involvement in the outdoors, Deerassic Park Education Center was established to combat these declines. Since then, the staff at the facility have provided a myriad of programs and events designed for youth and families to experience the outdoors and become participants in a variety of outdoor activities.
OUR HISTORY
Founded in 1996, The National Whitetail Deer Education Foundation is dedicated to providing outdoor education at little to no cost through programs and events, and through their commitment to maintaining the Deerassic Park Education Center. The Education Center is located on 170+ acres, with a Welcome Center, Ohio Whitetail Hall of Fame, a 3 acre pond, a shooting/archery range, a nature center, trails and event areas including 15,000 sq. ft of pavilion space. The Deerassic Park Education Center also maintains a live educational herd of deer for youth and families to view and learn about.
Throughout each year, Deerassic provides community and educational events and programs to reach out to youth and families. These include but are not limited to; school field trips, numerous summer and seasonal youth camps, annual family events such as Spring Fest and the Youth Fishing Derby, in-school visits, and various community partner events. Programs taught during these events can include but are not limited to; canoeing/kayaking, archery, riflery, nature hikes, deer lectures and conservation education. Over 12,000 youth come to the Park annually for these educational programs. The Deerassic Park Education Center also provides Ohio Division of Natural Resources education programs such as: Passport to Fishing and Hunter’s Education.
OUR STAFF
Our Education Director is fully committed to making sure your family’s great time and safety are the top priority. With a degree in Education and years of public school teaching experience as well as over a decade of child care experience, you can rest assured knowing that your family is in great quality care.
Our summer counselors come from near and far, and are rigorously selected and background checked to ensure only the very best are responsible for you and your child’s safety and well-being. Every staff member is held to our high standards and expectations here at Deerassic Park.
THE CLASSIC
Deerassic Park Education Center and the National Whitetail Deer Education Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which is funded primarily through the Deerassic Classic Giveaway and Outdoor Expo, held the first Friday & Saturday of August annually. This one of a kind event features over $1.5M in prizes and boasts the world’s largest 50/50 (over $250,000 the last 5 years). This two day event is a one of a kind opportunity for supporters of quality outdoor education to enjoy themselves while providing the funding needed to provide the Park’s programs throughout the year. The event begins on Thursday Night with a campground kick off party and concert. On Friday we open the gates and everyone enjoys the vendors, stage shows and the Big Buck Bonus Drawing. On Saturday we host the main event all day long, with the Classic Drawing (a prize every five minutes), the Loot & Shoot Raffle, Locked & Loaded Raffle, Cold Hard Cash Raffle, as well as dozens of side raffles. We finish out the evening with a concert and fireworks. It’s always a great time and goes towards a great cause!