Getting Students On-target with Colorado Archery in School Program
OutdoorHub 09.26.13
When Katniss Everdeen, the fictional heroine of the Hunger Games novels, jumped from the pages to the big screen, she brought with her a renewed interest in archery. As that interest continues to burgeon in pop culture, Colorado Parks and Wildlife invites teachers to participate in “Basic Archery Instructor” Certification workshops, provided by the Colorado Archery in the Schools Program.
They are also encouraged to submit applications for equipment grants this fall. Colorado Parks and Wildlife is the state sponsor for the National Archery in the Schools Program — an in-school physical education or outdoor education program that teaches international-style target archery for students in grades 4-12.
Teachers are trained as “Basic Archery Instructors” by nationally-certified Parks and Wildlife staff during eight-hour professional development courses. Once trained, teachers are eligible to apply for grant funding so that their schools can purchase archery equipment.
“Our goal for this program is to train physical education teachers to teach skills in archery that may lead to a life-long love of shooting,” said Tabbi Kinion, program director for CASP for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Colorado adopted the National Archery in the Schools Program model because the program is safe, has demonstrated success for teachers and students, and has been shown to lead to participation in the shooting sports after archery class is over.”
Trainings will happen in October in Colorado Springs and Denver, and the grant application deadline is Nov. 15. Training opportunities and grant applications are found on the education section of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife website.
The Colorado Archery in the Schools Program has become a popular way to inspire kids across Colorado to take up this engaging activity. During the 2011-2012 school year the Easton Foundation surveyed student participants grades 4-12 across the United States, and 89 percent of students participating liked the program because, “it’s fun, everyone can participate, and NASP allows us to socialize with friends.” More than 100 Colorado schools will participate in this school year.
For more information about the program, please contact Colorado Archery in the Schools Program Coordinator Tabbi Kinion at tabbi.kinion@state.co.us.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife manages 42 state parks, more than 300 state wildlife areas, all of Colorado’s wildlife, and a variety of outdoor recreation. For more information go to cpw.state.co.us.
