IHEA-USA Highlights Major Education, Technology, and Industry Milestones in 2025 Annual Report
The International Hunter Education Association–USA (IHEA-USA) has released its 2025 Annual Report, outlining a year marked by expanded partnerships, new technology tools, and innovative programs designed to strengthen hunter education and shooting sports instruction nationwide.
"We recognized several years ago the challenges our state agency partners face in delivering hunting and shooting sports education," said Alex Baer, Executive Director of IHEA-USA. "Since then, we have focused on becoming the partner they need—not only to understand how to reach a fast-changing public, but to provide the tools necessary to succeed."
The report highlights IHEA-USA's growing role as a connector between state agencies, industry partners, and nonprofit organizations, with a focus on scalable education, modern technology, and improved volunteer and student support.
Strengthening Community
Throughout 2025, IHEA-USA brought together agencies and partners from across the country to collaborate, share best practices, and advance education standards. Highlights include:
- Annual Conference at Jekyll Island, Georgia: Hosted by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the event convened partners nationwide to exchange ideas and explore emerging approaches to education and outreach.
- PathPerks with Guidefitter: More than 200 industry manufacturers now provide discounts to hunter education graduates through this new benefit program, delivered in partnership with state agencies.
- Industry-Wide Volunteer Retention Program: In collaboration with NASP and USAA, IHEA-USA launched new incentives to support and retain volunteers, including teachers, coaches, and mentors.
Delivering Services
In 2025, IHEA-USA also expanded its suite of education and technology services for agencies and partners:
- StateView Dashboards: Each participating state agency now has secure access to student and volunteer data, certifications, online education activity, and mentoring insights.
- PUP AI Education Assistant: Industry partners can now deploy custom AI chat tools on their websites to deliver education through secure, conversational interfaces with simple administrative controls.
- EduTech Catalyst Fund: A new funding model connecting industry manufacturer contributions directly to state agency technology needs, supporting innovation and modernization across programs.
- Standardized Volunteer Safety Checks: An affordable background check service is now available to agencies and NGO partners, helping strengthen trust and safety in education programs.
IHEA-USA also expanded access to education by hosting AFWA Trapper Education on its Outdoor Education Learning Network (ELN), allowing state agencies to offer branded, state-specific trapper education to residents at no cost.
"These initiatives reflect our commitment to guiding the outdoor education community through research, partnership alignment, and product development," Baer added. "We are prepared to help agencies and organizations meet today's challenges while building solutions for tomorrow."
Looking Ahead
The 2025 Annual Report underscores IHEA-USA's evolving role as a national leader in education, technology, and collaboration—supporting safe, responsible, and ethical hunting while creating new pathways for participation and long-term engagement in outdoor recreation.