Pennsylvania Game News - January 2012 - 15

the number of students enrolled and certified during the next reporting period. The National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP®) was administered throughout the state by a volunteer under the direct guidance of NASP® since approximately 2005. It is preferred by NASP® to have the program coordinated at the state level by state wildlife agencies, and to fulfill this goal the PGC assumed “jurisdictional” ownership of the National Archery in the Schools Program in the summer of 2010. This coordination includes recruiting, training and certifying new physical education teachers in various school districts statewide, as well as other individual volunteers, to then conduct NASP® activities in their respective school districts while following established program guidelines. Additionally, $100,000 has been set aside to assist new schools in purchasing NASP® equipment kits to help get those schools started in the program. Each new school will be granted $1,500 toward the purchase of a NASP® kit, which runs nearly $3,100. The balance will then be funded by individual school districts, other grants, or from donations from local sportsmen’s organizations and businesses. On April 9, 2010, the Pennsylvania state NASP® tournament was held under the coordination of the Pennsylvania NASP coordinator. It is unknown how many schools participated, but approximately 300 students participated. The PGC hosted the 2011 PA State NASP® Tournament on March 11, 2011, at the Pennsylvania State University Multi-Sport Facility. Seventeen schools and more than 400 students were registered for the event. However due to weather conditions that closed many schools for the day across the state, only 16 schools and slightly more than 300 students were able to participate. Participation in the statewide tournament, along with certain qualifications, allowed students to participate in the 2011 National NASP® Tournament; three PA schools with 52 students participated in the National Tournament. Participation at the national level allows students to register for the World NASP® Tournament held in October of each year. A cooperative agreement with the National Wild Turkey Federation was maintained to fund costs of conducting its Women in the Outdoors (WITO) events. Nine WITO events were held across the state, with 746 participants. To help women interested in participating in a WITO event near them, the agency launched a new Internet-based Event Manager program to find and register for these events. Using Event Manager is crucial, as it will allow for the WITO program to be evaluated as a hunter/trapper recruitment tool. Toward the end of FY 2010, work began in redesigning the Youth Field Day format into a Family Field Day concept. Additionally, to help individuals interested in participating in a Youth Field Day/Family Field Day find a event, the Event Manager program can also be used. Significant progress was made in outlining the plan for how Family Field Day participants will be taken from Stage II (Trial Stage of the Hunting/Shooting Participation Classification System) to Stage IV (Continuation with Support). Strategies include a manual to be used by sportsmen’s clubs and organizations that plan on hosting such an event. The manual will include the history of youth field days, current declining license trends, and what needs to change for Field Days to accomplish the goal of being a recruitment/retention tool for hunters and trappers. Also included will be planning documents and step-by-step directions on how to conduct hands-on outdoor-related stations, such as fishing, archery, canoeing, shotgunning, rifle and a wide variety of other activities. The utilization of video media is also planned in several capacities, as is the use of social media and marketing strategies. Of utmost importance is the built-in follow-up events to create continuing social support that is imperative to keeping new hunting/trapping
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Pennsylvania Game News - January 2012

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