National Archery in the Schools Program

To start a NASP program in your Pennsylvania school, contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Usually grant funding is available to offset the purchase of a starter equipment kit for your school. Funding is contingent on the agency's receipt of a commitment letter specifically noting that NASP will become part of the school's physical education curriculum or other related curricula. The commitment letter also should detail the number of students and grade levels in the school.

Once a commitment letter is received, an equipment kit is ordered by your school. An equipment kit costs $3,217.00 for public schools and $3,228.00 for private schools; $1,500.00 of which is covered by the Game Commission. In addition, other funding may be available at the time that you place your order because of grants and donations from organizations such as Easton Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Safari Club International. Some equipment, such as quivers and bow storage boxes, can be constructed in your school or at home. Some technology education classes have even helped to build some of this equipment. After your equipment order arrives, you will work with the PGC to coordinate a free Basic Archery Instructor (BAI) training course for your instructors. 

• To set up a BAI training for your school or to find one for an instructor in your area, contact us by email. Visit the BAI Training Calendar to register for upcoming training in your

Bowhunting in the Commonwealth: For some students, the next step in shooting may be bowhunting. In the 2012 archery season, over 300,000 bowhunters bought archery licenses. If students are interested in pursuing bowhunting, the Game Commission's Successful Bowhunting would be a great way for them to get into the sport. For more information, contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Hunter Education Division at 717-787-7015. Explore Bowhunting

Community organizations: Many sportsmen's clubs and other organizations offer opportunities for young archers to participate in their events. Contact shootingsports@pa.gov to identify some of these clubs and opportunities for NASP students to pursue. If you are aware of an organization that offers an opportunity for young archers, please contact this email as well with more information on your organization or event.

4-H Shooting Sports – Archery Clubs: 4-H is a great place to improve upon the skills of archery students who participate in NASP. By becoming a part of a 4-H archery club, students have access to instructors that will help them learn about the sport alongside other junior archers. Students complete projectbooks and compete in showmanship competitions at their county fair. Look at the list of  4H Archery Clubs in Pennsylvania (PDF) in the state and see if your county offers one. If not, visit http://extension.psu.edu/counties to find the contact information for the Penn State extension office near you to see how you can start one in your county!

Junior Olympic Archer Development (JOAD) Program: The Junior Olympic Archery Development program allows youth to excel in the sport of archery and is a natural next step for students in the NASP program. This organization is open to youth archers ages 8-18 and is a perfect complement to the NASP program as it offers instruction for archers interested in international-style target competition. Once a member of a JOAD club, the shooter will be taught by a certified coach or instructor and can be advanced in the sport shooting to either a compound or a recurve bow. JOAD holds tournaments at the Regional, State and National levels throughout the year at both indoor and outdoor ranges. With the goal of developing the skills of the individual archer, JOAD often recognizes achievements with awards. JOAD is a rapidly growing program and the organization has many different places that a child can join if they are interested. Look at the list of JOAD clubs in Pennsylvania (PDF) to see if one is nearby or visit JOAD Archery for more information on the program.