The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Section (DNR) will hold its next instructor training for the Archery in the Schools (AIS) Program January 29 and 30 at Charleston First Church of the Nazarene, according to Krista Snodgrass, program coordinator.
The AIS Program has become DNR’s largest growing educational program. Since its inception in 2004, more than 72,000 students have been introduced to archery as part of their physical education (PE) classes in nearly 300 West Virginia schools. The program teaches Olympic-style, target archery in both public and private schools Grades 4 through 12.
“Our youth ministry has been involved in archery for some time and we’re looking forward to providing our facility,” said Randy Lanham, pastor. “Though our program may be a little different, I can verify that archery, especially among youth, has definitely grown in popularity and, unlike most activities, kids of all ages and backgrounds can participate.”
“In order for schools to have the AIS Program, they must first have a certified instructor – preferably a PE instructor or coach who will introduce as many kids as possible to the joys of target archery,” said Snodgrass. “DNR only has about four trainings a year and, because class size is limited to 25, training slots are highly sought. As an added incentive, teachers taking this training may be eligible to receive Continuing Education Hours (CEH) – provided they submit their paperwork to their principal before the end of the school year.”
To ensure a training slot, anyone interested in getting a school involved in the program is encouraged to apply as soon as possible, before the January 2 deadline. The training costs $25 for all school employees and $50 for non-school employees. This fee will be paid to WVDNR – Archery in the Schools Program (via check, money order, or exact currency only) during the first morning of the training.
To register for the AIS training at Charleston First Church of the Nazarene, please call Krista Snodgrass at 304-558-2771; email Krista.R.Snodgrass@wv.gov for information on the AIS Program, or visit the DNR’s AIS website at www.wvdnr.gov/archery.
