Mobile Youth Archery Program
The Boone and Crockett Club’s Conservation Education Program will soon begin a new mobile archery sport program to provide a hands-on archery, hunter ethics and conservation education module. The Boone and Crockett Archery-Mobile (BCAM) program is collaborating with the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) to initiate a new way to promote healthy outdoor activity for youth and set them on the path to become future hunters-conservationists.
The BCAM will contain an entire NASP-approved archery setup, which is capable of hosting 10 archers at once. The NASP approved curriculum will be delivered to middle- and high-school-aged youth during school hours, primarily while in physical education classes. An “Archery-Mobile” trailer will transport the archery equipment to and from each school. BCAM is currently targeting 50-plus schools across north and central Montana with four schools already signed on to host the program later this year.
“The BCAM is just one part of an overall strategy from outdoor groups and outdoor industry partners to promote the benefits of the outdoors and help stimulate the next generation of outdoorsmen and women,” said B&C Conservation Programs Manager Luke Coccoli. “While NASP has been implemented in thousands of schools across the country, most are located in urban areas where funds, students and storage space are all readily available. Our program brings everything to the students and allows us to provide year-round encouragement and education for shooting sports, outdoor skills and wildlife conservation.”
The youth archery program teaches lifetime skills to all ages, genders and skill levels. The NASP training is current, comprehensive, consistent and safe. The NASP program has been taught in 14,000 schools in 5 countries with widespread support from teachers, parents, students and administrators. The BCAM will be fully implemented by November but still needs additional funding for additional gear, travel costs and maintenance of equipment in future years.
“NASP already has a great track record of success of youth outreach and we believe BCAM will follow that path as well,” said Coccoli. “We have about half of what it takes to have the complete archery setup needed to fill the BCAM but we need more funds to fully bring it to life and maintain it.”
To date, the following groups have joined Boone and Crockett Club with their support: Great Falls, Montana Chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation, Pope & Young Club, NASP, and SCHEELS Sports. To learn more about the BCAM or to make a contribution to the program, please contact Luke Coccoli at luke@boone-crockett.org.
About the Boone and Crockett Club
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club is the oldest conservation organization in North America and helped to establish the principles of wildlife and habitat conservation, hunter ethics, as well as many of the institutions, experts agencies, science and funding mechanisms for conservation. Member accomplishments include enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Montana. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.