- January 3, 2026
Rachel Ord takes photo of Jackson DeVaney holding up his fish-on-a-line Christmas tree ornament. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The Flagler Homeschool Fishing group, founded by Rachel Ord, pose with their Christmas tree ornaments on Nov. 14 before going fishing at Waterfront Park. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler Homeschool Fishing group founder Rachel Ord (right) helps children create Christmas tree ornaments at Waterfront Park. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rachel Ord (center) helps direct children in crafting Christmas tree ornaments on Nov. 14 at Waterfront Park. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Johnny, Marley, River and Luke pulled up an old outboard motor at a recent fishing outing with the Flagler Homeschool Fishing group. Johnny got his cast net snagged on the motor. With a team effort they got the motor out of the water and properly disposed of it. Courtesy photo
Jackson DeVaney of the Flagler Homeschool Fishing group holds up his Christmas tree ornament with a fish on the end of a pipe-cleaner fishing line. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Jude and Elijah work on their Christmas tree ornaments on Nov. 14 at Waterfront Park. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Rachel Ord’s family loves to fish.
“My son is 8. He loves fishing and being in nature,” Ord said. “We all love it. I thought, ‘Gosh, there’s got to be other kids like this.’”
Ord thought of the Flagler Sportfishing Club’s kids4reel program, which supports fishing clubs at Flagler County schools. But Ord homeschools her children. So, she decided to start a fishing and conservation group for homeschooled children.
Deb Marinco, the Sportfishing Club’s kids4reel co-leader, was a 2025 Standing O recipient. She nominated Ord for the recognition this year.
She has a big network of families. They do day trips, adventures. They learn about marine life. They’re very smart, well-rounded kids. ... In my opinion, she keeps these kids interested in learning.
— DEB MARINCO, 2025 Standing O recipient
“She has a big network of families. They do day trips, adventures. They learn about marine life,” Marinco said. “She brought the kids to fish with us. They’re very smart, well-rounded kids, everything you’d want the next generation to be. In my opinion, she keeps these kids interested in learning.”
Ord started Flagler Homeschool Fishing over three years ago. The group meets at least once a month. It started as a 4-h group, Ord said, but in the second year they decided to become independent.
“I said, ‘I’ll just buy a bunch of bait. The whole goal was to expose other kids and their parents to fishing, which is something we love as a family,” said Ord, who also has two daughters, ages 4 and 11. “A lot of it is being with nature, getting away from the fast pace of life.”
Kids4reel initially provided the group with 20 fishing rods, Ord said. The Flagler Sportfishing Club comes out to give presentations to the group a couple of times a year on marine life, conservation and proper fishing habits.
Children new to fishing play a casting game on land, making sure they’re not swinging their hooks. They learn fishing regulations and how to identify fish. They talk about conservation, safety and the environment. They took a marine science boat tour with Florida Water Warriors in St. Augustine.
Sometimes the group has knot-tying lessons or the kids will find something interesting and present it to the group, Ord said.
“Usually there’s an educational aspect, but sometimes it’s casual and we just go fishing,” Ord said.
In November, they crafted fishing-related Christmas tree ornaments at Waterfront Park and then went fishing. In December, they had a lesson in gyotaku fish printing. The kids also pulled up an old outboard motor from the waterway and then disposed of it properly.
In September, Ord arranged a first aid and CPR certification class for the kids with Salus Medical Training.
“She planned months and months ahead for a very specific fishing themed first aid and CPR course for the group,” Salus Medical Training owner Lauren Ramirez said. “She knew what these kids needed and wanted. She really impressed me. She was very prepared to make sure they were going to be prepared.”
In the first session of the class the kids built personal first aid kits that included such things as sting relief wipes and gel for jellyfish or insect stings, hand sanitizer, antibiotic and hydrocortisone creams, gauze, a whistle and a CPR mask. In the second session, the kids who stayed earned their American Heart Association first aid an CPR certifications.
Usually 10 to 15 kids plus parents participate in the groups’s monthly activities, but there are over 100 members of the “Flagler Homeschool Fishing” Facebook group, and they had 40 attend the Florida Water Warriors field trip.
The group is not limited to homeschool students. Anybody is welcome to join, Ord said, but the activities and fishing outings are often scheduled during school hours.
Rose Spellman, one of the homeschool parents, said her family loves the group because it presents life-skill lessons.
“It’s learning outside the classroom. We get to be outside in the sunshine learning important habits for life,” she said. “There’s also socialization, a time to work together with other kids and be with friends. Rachel holds everything together and spends tons of her time organizing everything.”
Through fishing, Spellman said, the kids learn patience and resilience, “because you have to wait and wait to catch fish.”
Ord said it’s really fun to see a child catch their first fish and have everybody cheer for them.
“I just do this because I love it,” Ord said. “And the kids love it.”
