Statewide—Indiana’s National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP®) has surpassed the mark of having more than 500 participating schools in its 15 years of existence.
Administrated through the DNR Division of Law Enforcement, NASP® was introduced to Hoosier state schools in 2005.
Currently, there are 529 participating schools. Statistics reported to the DNR by participating schools show that more than 70,000 students in grades 4 through 12 participated in NASP® during the 2018-2019 school year. In addition, more than 2,300 of those students were recognized by the NASP® Academic Archer program, which started during the 2018-2019 school year. That program honors NASP® participants for their academic achievements, as well as their archery skills.
Indiana NASP ® allows participants to experience a new sport while gaining self-confidence, learning sportsmanship and improving social skills. A fundamental goal of NASP® is to be inclusive and available to all students.
NASP® has been proven to increase educational performance, attendance and participation in the shooting sports, according to Indiana NASP ® coordinator Tim Beck.
“The steady growth of this program has impacted schools all across Indiana,” Beck said. “Schools are realizing the benefits of the program by the sheer numbers of students who have expressed their interest in learning to shoot international-style target archery as a part of their in-school curriculum.
“This positive youth program is truly ‘Changing Lives…One Arrow at a Time,’ as the NASP® slogan says.”
