Archery coming to a school nearby, DNR announces '05 school archery grant program (2005-09-20)

Physical education instructors are often looking for new activities that will engage and motivate their students. An increasing number of teachers are discovering archery as a tool to do that.

Last year, 50 programs enrolled in a fledging Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) project as part of the National Archery in the Schools Program. Through the program, the DNR provided financial support to purchase state-of-the-art archery gear, trained teachers in archery instruction and gave schools a nationally recognized archery curriculum guide. As a result, nearly 10,000 students were introduced to archery during the 2004-2005 school year. DNR and state archery leaders hope to double that participation in the coming year.

The agency is currently taking applications for equipment grants until Oct. 31. An informational DVD and application were recently mailed to more than 600 Minnesota high schools, junior high schools and middle schools. Additional information and a downloadable application form are available on the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state.mn.us.

To qualify for a grant, school officials must agree to a few conditions. First, the school must raise $1,300 as a match for the grant. Most schools have found private sector sponsors to pay part or all of this cost. Second, teachers must take a one-day archery training course, paid for by the DNR. Third, the school must commit to offering archery for at least two weeks (or 10 classroom hours) every school year for the life of the equipment. Finally, the school must agree to make the equipment available to community organizations and after-school programs that offer additional public archery opportunities.

According to Ryan Bronson, the program coordinator for the DNR, most schools find sponsors ready and willing to foot the $1,300 bill.

"Minnesota is blessed with active archery, conservation and fraternal organizations looking to support educational efforts like this," Bronson said. "When you consider the retail value of this equipment is at least four times the cost, this is a bargain." Major program sponsors include the National Wild Turkey Federation and the Arrowsport Foundation. Archery groups that have contributed to the program include the Minnesota State Archery Association, SCI-North Country Bowhunters, Minnesota Bowhunters Inc., Minnesota Archers Alliance and countless local organizations.

While using up-to-date equipment makes archery instruction easier, the program places a heavy emphasis on training teachers to conduct classes in the safest and most effective manner possible.

"Archery is one of the safest activities a school offers in their gym classes," Bronson said. "According to statistics from the National Safety Council, archery's injury rate is half that of golf and is safer than every ball-sport except ping-pong and bowling. In an effort to make the sport even safer, teachers receive extensive instruction in operating a safe archery range, both indoors and outdoors."

By overcoming the main barriers schools experience in offering archery - particularly expense, safety concerns and teacher proficiency - the DNR expects archery to rapidly grow in popularity. That is because archery appeals to young people regardless of gender, athletic ability or academic achievement level. In fact, archery tends to engage kids who otherwise don't participate well in school.

A recent survey of schools participating in the National Archery in the Schools Program found 94 percent of students liked archery, 68 percent liked it a lot, and 66 percent said it made gym class better. Amazingly, 53 percent reported feeling better about themselves when they finished archery compared with 4 percent who felt worse, indicating that archery is having a positive impact on young people's self-esteem.

Archery's benefits carry over into the classroom. Half the kids surveyed liked school better because of archery. In Kentucky, where the National Archery in the Schools Program originated, teachers report higher attendance during archery units. The benefits of archery carry over outside of school as well, according to Bronson. Unlike many athletic activities, entire families can participate together. Whether shooting recreationally, for hunting, or shooting competitively, archery has many opportunities for people of all ages, he said. The ESPN Great Outdoor Games featured an archery competition on national television this year. Archery is a long-standing Olympic event. The targets used in schools are the same style as used in the Olympics.

For more information about the National Archery in the Schools program, visit the program Web site at www.NASParchery.com or contact the DNR Archery in Schools Program at (651) 296-0776.

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