Wildlife and Parks Partners with USD 500 to Bring Archery to over 22,000 Inner-City Students
For Immediate Release: August 24, 2024
Contact: Lyndzee Rhine, Outdoor Skills and Recruitment Coordinator
Lyndzee.Rhine@ks.gov
Wildlife and Parks Partners with USD 500 to Bring Archery to over 22,000 Inner-City Students
PRATT – The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) and the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools District (USD 500) have been working together since April 2024 to bring the Kansas National Archery In the Schools Program (NASP) to all 40 schools in the district. KDWP Outdoor Skills & Recruitment Coordinator, Lyndzee Rhine, and Christine Scharenberg, Physical Education K-12 Curriculum and Instructional Coach for USD 500, have spearheaded the effort by organizing trainers, recruiting teachers, and advocating for the program, which will certify 60 physical education teachers within the district. As a result, more than 22,000 inner-city students will have the opportunity to learn archery as a lifetime sport.
To equip each school with the necessary gear for teaching archery, 28 equipment kits were needed – one for each high school and middle school, and one shared kit for every two elementary schools (14 pairs). Each kit includes a safety net, targets, bows, arrows, a bow rack, and a maintenance kit. The total cost for these kits was $98,000. Thanks to the combined financial contributions from KDWP, NASP, Pheasants Forever, Kansas Wildscape Foundation, and Safari Club International – Kansas City, the $98,000 goal was met. Following back-to-back Basic Archery Instructor (BAI) trainings, all 40 schools are ready to implement archery lessons as soon as their equipment kits arrive.
NASP was adopted in Kansas in 2006. With the inclusion of USD 500, more than 185 schools across the state will participate in NASP, impacting over 40,000 students annually. NASP is integrated into 4th- through12th-grade classrooms as an in-school program. Emphasizing safety, NASP is considered safer than table tennis. The use of universal archery equipment ensures that nearly every student, regardless of age, size, or physical ability, can succeed. This success boosts student self-esteem, improves school attendance and performance, fosters a stronger connected to their schools, and encourages more youth to spend time outdoors. The archery and life lessons learned in the classroom translate to life beyond the school, providing a lifelong activity.
To initiate the program, teachers must attend and successfully complete a BAI training, which is available free of charge and hosted by KDWP. New schools qualify for grant funding through the KDWP and NASP to help offset the start-up equipment kit costs. Schools can begin offering archery to their students within weeks. For more information or to schedule a training, visit ksoutdoors.com/Services/Education/National-Archery-in-the-Schools-Program-NASP or contact Lyndzee Rhine at Lyndzee.Rhine@ks.gov.
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