NASP® Academic Archer Program
Gets New Sponsor – New Look!
August 31, 2016
Easton Technical Products is the new Gold Level Sponsor of the National Archery in the Schools Program and the new financial sponsor of the NASP® Academic Archer program.
In November of 2015, National NASP® leadership and a group of NASP® educators and students met to discuss ways to further enhance the 15 year old program. One recommendation was to establish a uniform incentive and recognition format to recognize and promote academic achievement for participating NASP® students. The concept of a NASP® Academic Archer was born. In its first year of implementation, AA finished with 8,517 students enrolled. Educators from 38 US states and two Canadian Provinces implemented the NASP® Academic Archer Program with their students. Easton Technical Products, a long time supporter and manufacturer of the only approved NASP® arrow, began discussions with NASP® leadership about the success of the program. Easton quickly recognized the value of the AA recognition program and gladly jumped on board as its financial sponsor.
Mark Pezzoni, President of Easton Technical Products said, “I began to fully understand the effect that NASP® is making when I got to know the people leading the organization. They have a real passion for creating a positive impact on the lives of students. I believe the Academic Archer Program will bring NASP® to a whole new level – by not only recognizing the importance of being a contributing part of a team, but in driving home the importance of everyday learning in the classroom. Easton Technical Products is honored to be part of this program.”
Carri Garret of Easton Technical Products said, “We are excited about taking our relationship with NASP® to the next level by becoming a Gold level sponsor and the sole sponsor of the NASP® Academic Archer program. Easton’s sponsorship of NASP® and the NASP® Academic Archer program is part of our ongoing commitment to promoting archery. Becoming the sole sponsor of the Academic Archer program shows our commitment to excellence in academics as well as archer performance.”
Roy Grimes, president of NASP® said, “We are thrilled to have Easton Technical Products become a Gold level sponsor of NASP® in becoming the official sponsor of NASP® Academic Archer. Our longstanding relationship and their continued demonstration of being kid-centered, makes ETP a natural fit for promoting academics among NASP® participants.’
Dr. Tommy Floyd, NASP® Vice President and General Manager commented on the new partnership saying, “Easton Technical Products has always been a tremendous partner in the NASP®. Getting to know Mark and Carri reinforces their obvious interest in not only what is good for archery, but for the people that participate in it. The folks at ETP continue to demonstrate their genuine interest in doing what is right for students. As NASP® focuses on grades 4-12, we see AA sponsored by Easton as a natural progression for our program. Having a willing partner like ETP that understands that NASP® is far more about helping the young people that participated in it, is an added bonus.”
Recently NASP® conducted a Coordinator Conference and released the news about the Easton sponsorship. Based on the excitement of NASP® coordinators, and the increased support from Easton, NASP® is anticipating many more enrolled Academic Archers in the coming school year.
“Academic Archer will go live on September 1, for the 2016-17 school year, said Dr. Floyd. We hope that every NASP® jurisdiction will enroll students in AA. We’d like to see the number top 50,000 students next year. It is our intention to increasingly send the strongest of messages about how teaching archery as part of the school curriculum is important to the mission of educators. As I’ve stated before, the more we emphasize in-school archery as an extension of the classroom, the more that educators can use programs like AA, as a motivational tool to reach more students! “
For more information on beginning the Academic Archer in your school:
Please visit the toolkit at: http://naspschools.org/instructors/
For specifics about AA criteria, visit http://naspschools.org/instructors/attachments/1472614732.pdf
Or
Contact Dr. Tommy Floyd at: tommy.floyd@naspschools.org