MDC offers Archery in the Schools program open house Dec. 7

SAPPINGTON, Mo.—Calling all teachers—if there were an activity that could help your students keep focus, improve their grades, and boost their self-esteem, wouldn’t you want it in your school?

Archery has been proven to do just that for students who participate in the Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP). 

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will hold a MoNASP Open House event Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 3-6 p.m. at the Sappington Elementary School Gym, 11011 Gravois Road in Sappington.

MoNASP is part of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), which is a national program that teaches Olympic-style target archery to students in grades 4-12.

The open house is free and offers an informal setting for interested parents, students, and school administrators to learn about MoNASP.  Participants can come and go anytime during the event and will leave with their sights set on implementing archery in their schools.

Visitors will have the chance to view the archery range layout and equipment, visit with MDC staff regarding implementation and equipment grants, and learn from teachers and students from Sappington Elementary who participate in MoNASP.

Studies have demonstrated that school archery programs improve school attendance, increase participants’ self-esteem and physical activity, and helps kids relate to learning subject matter.  It gets them outdoors to discover nature, too. Participants learn an activity they can enjoy for the rest of their lives in the form of recreational target shooting or bow hunting.

To learn more about the MoNASP open house, call 314-301-1506.For more information about MoNASP, visit https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/teaching/monasp/about-monasp.