Wyoming- National Archery in

Schools Program

In 2003, Wyoming became the fifth state to take on the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP). NASP started March 3, 2002 in Kentucky and has now grown into 46 states and 5 countries reaching close to 3.5 million youth in grades 4-12 since its inception. The core content covers archery, history, safety, techniques, equipment, mental concentration, and self-improvement. In addition, the Wyoming standards based curriculum provides interesting and creative possibilities for integration with core content in health education, social studies, mathematics, history, and language arts. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department provide the training for instructors and part of the equipment.

The Wyoming -National Archery in Schools Program (WNASP) currently has 172 teachers and volunteers teaching the program in 50 schools statewide. This program is currently a sub-program in the Outdoor Recreation Education Opportunities (O.R.E.O.). The O.R.E.O. program, started in 1995, is a series of activities that teachers or youth group leaders can use to teach their students about outdoor recreation. For more on O.R.E.O., click here.

• Wyoming NASP Handbook
• 2009 National Research Report

How do you get your school involved in WNASP?

You need to have at least one teacher certified in the WNASP program. There are currently 3 levels of training that can educators can receive (see list of 2010 BAI(T) classes and registration forms below): 

Basic Archery Instructor (BAI)

• Eight hour training
• Certified to teach youth or adult programs

Basic Archery Instructor Trainer (BAIT)

• 24 hours of training (three-8 hour days)
• Certified to teach youth or adult classes
• Certified to host BAI training classes

Basic Archery Instructor Trainer Specialist (BAITS)

• Hold a BAIT certification for at least one year in which you host at least four classes
• Teach BAIT class under the guidance of current (BAITS) - 24 hours of training (three-8 hour days)
• Certified to teach youth or adult programs

Archery Equipment

Fill out the Archery Equipment Agreement form to receive half of the recommended equipment. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) provides schools with half of the equipment recommended for a program. The following is the recommended, nationally approved equipment, as provided by WGFD and as recommended the school purchase:

• 5 right-handed and 1 left-handed Genesis Compound Bows (we recommend at least 10 right-handed and 2 left-handed bows for your school group)
• 5 Dozen Easton Arrows
• 2 Block Style targets (we recommend you have 5 targets; there are three different styles that have been approved for the NASP program)
• 1 arrow curtain

Schools will be responsible for securing the remaining equipment. Optional equipment that is optional includes:

• Bow and Arrow Repair Kit
• Arrow Ground Quivers
• Bow Rack
• Arm Guards
• Painters Tape or Spray Paint