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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – At a special assembly on Friday, Sept. 29, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) honored Greenwood Laboratory School in Springfield for becoming the 1000th member of the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP).
“MoNASP is good for students because any student can be successful at it and learn lessons that can help them be successful in other things they do, both in and out of school” said Jon Ewing, who is the director of Greenwood’s MoNASP efforts. “I think it (MoNASP) can best be summed up by what one 7th grade girl said last year. ‘Finally, a sport I’m good at.’ “
This year, an archery unit will be taught in Greenwood’s fifth and sixth grades. After mid-October, the school will begin having team archery and hopes to enter school tournaments in December.
MoNASP is an in-school program aiming at improving educational performance among students in grades 4-12. Through their participation in archery activities and competitions, students learn focus, self-control, discipline, patience, and other qualities that will help them be successful in the classroom and in life.
MoNASP is coordinated in Missouri through MDC in partnership with numerous schools and supporting organizations. During the 2022-23 school year, 81,596 students participated in MoNASP.
MoNASP is an affiliate of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP). Since NASP’s beginning in 2002 in Kentucky, more than 21 million students in 49 states have participated in the program. More than 104,000 educators have been trained as instructors for this program over the past 21 years.
“MoNASP is unique,” said MDC Education Outreach Coordinator Rob Garver, who administrates MDC’s involvement in MoNASP throughout the state. “It is school curriculum that helps students learn patience and responsibility. Archery is a lifetime sport and a great way to enjoy the outdoors.”
More information about MoNASP and how schools can become involved in this program can be found at https://education.mdc.mo.gov/school-programs/monasp.
