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. The Foundation’s mission is to inspire lifelong learning, sustained curiosity, and respect for all of nature and the outdoors. One of our main goals is to help youth reconnect with the outdoor world, and to help reverse the trend of declining youth participation in outdoor activities. We achieve this goal through educational programs and community outreach. The NWDEF supports the Deerassic Park Education Center, 130 acres near Salt Fork State Park on US 22 east of Cambridge, Ohio. It is easily accessible and near the intersection of Interstates 70 and 77 in Guernsey County. . We are funded through the annual Deerassic Classic Giveaway in August, so be sure to purchase your ticket!