DEP'S "ARCHERY IN THE SCHOOLS" PROGRAM IS NOW ESTABLISHED
IN MORE THAN 180 SCHOOLS, CAMPS AND SCOUT ORGANIZATIONS
 DIVISION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE WINS TWO NATIONAL AWARDS FOR THE
PROGRAM’S SUCCESS

(14/P80) TRENTON- New Jersey’s National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), which has grown rapidly since its inception by the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife just 9 years ago, has garnered two national awards for its successful launch and expansion, Commissioner Bob Martin announced today. NASP is now part of the curriculum in 147 schools and 36 summer camps, recreational programs, and scout organizations statewide.

The archery program received the 100 Century Award for reaching the benchmark of enrolling 100 schools, and the Gold Medal Award for the largest percent growth over the two-year reporting period from 2012-2014. The awards were presented recently by national NASP President Roy Grimes at the group’s annual conference in Madison, Wisconsin.

“Archery is a life-long sport that circumvents traditional barriers to engage students of all genders, physical abilities, and backgrounds,” said DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Dave Chanda. “It is an excellent physical activity in which boys and girls can participate together, and puts athletes and non-athletes on a level playing field.’’

The National Archery in the Schools Program brings the sport of archery to millions of students in schools across the United States. Started in Kentucky in 2002, NASP has been spreading throughout the United States. New Jersey’s program kicked off in 2005 with 10 pilot schools and has seen incredible growth, especially in recent years.

Designed to teach international-style target archery in 4th-12th grade physical education classes, the core curriculum content covers safety, technique, equipment, mental concentration, and self-improvement. The two-week archery curriculum is aligned to National Physical Education Standards and can be run safely in a school gymnasium.

No prior archery experience is needed for teachers or students.  Through collaboration with the Division of Fish and Wildlife, NASP can be implemented by schools free-of-charge.

Earlier this year, nearly 180 students from 10 schools competed in the first New Jersey NASP State Tournament held by the Division of Fish and Wildlife.  Following the state tournament, 63 New Jersey students traveled to Louisville, KY to participate in a national competition.  This year’s NASP National Tournament was recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest archery tournament in the world, with 10,443 competitors.

“This is a remarkable achievement,” said DEP Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources Richard Boornazian. “New Jersey showed a 170 percent increase in archery program school enrollment from 2012-2014, which was the highest growth rate out of 47 states, 7 Canadian provinces and 10 other countries that offer this curriculum. “This archery program has a wonderful positive impact on the lives of so many young people in the Garden State.”

“I encourage teachers interested in this exceptional program to contact one of our NASP coordinators for more information, or to schedule basic archery instructor training at their school,” he added.