Monticello — Three regional trainings will be held to certify instructors for the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP).

These trainings are offered free for schools located within the Fifth Congressional District through a grant provided through Operation UNITE and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Schools outside the 29-county district may attend at a cost.

No archery experience is required to take the training, which will begin at 8:30 a.m. each day. All schools wishing to implement NASP must have at least one trained instructor. Regional trainings will be held:

¥ Tuesday, July 14, at Memorial Gymnasium (Hazard High School), Memorial Drive, Hazard. RSVP deadline is Friday, July 3.

¥ Wednesday, July 15, at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park in Prestonsburg. RSVP deadline is Friday, July 3.

¥ Monday, July 20, at Somerset Christian School, 815 Grande Central Blvd, Somerset. RSVP deadline is Friday, July 10.

Each training will be limited to the first 25 people to RSVP, and each school may send no more than two people.

To RSVP contact Jennie Richardson at 606-521-0421 or e-mail to jennie.richardson@ky.gov. Out of district schools should make the $75 fee payable to the "KY NASP Foundation." NASP is an in-school target archery program that teaches archery skills to students in grades 4-12 as part of an in-school curriculum. The co-gender program is designed to engage those students who may not otherwise take part in regular school sports activities.

The two-week physical education and cross-curriculum course, called "Archery: On Target for Life," has been offered to Kentucky students since March 2002.

said Jennie Richardson, state archery coordinator. Written by

the state Department of Education, the curriculum holds interesting and creative possibilities for integration with core content in social studies, mathematics, visual arts, history and English/language arts.

Currently NASP is taught by nearly 16,000 teachers in more than 5,000 schools in 46 states and five countries. According to NASP, archery is ranked safer than every ball sport taught in schools except table tennis.

Schools in the Fifth District that implement after-school archery clubs may be eligible for funding for start-up equipment through Operation UNITE's community coalitions. UNITE has awarded $33,580 to 22 NASP programs in 12 counties.

"Participating students have exhibited marked improvements in self-esteem, confidence, self-discipline, structured programs and self-worthÑall qualities that lead to an all-around better student, and an enriched student body," said Hank Patton, Kentucky's Deputy Commissioner for Fish & Wildlife Resources. "We have also documented improvements in attendance, behavior and on-task behavior."

On April 14, in kicking off the partnership between UNITE and the state, Fifth District Congressman Harold "Hal" Rogers noted that "the goal is to get our youth involved in something positive before they get interested in

drugs. We can arrest drug dealers and provide treatment for addiction, but it's far easier to reach a child with positive activities before they fall prey to that lifestyle."

Kentucky Afield host Tim Farmer, who attended the kick-off event at Campton Elementary, included UNITE and Congressman Rogers in a recent show. To view the 5:28 overview of NASP and UNITE go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6p9aCGQ5uA.

For further information on NASP visit www.fw.ky.gov or www.archeryintheschools.org. For information about Operation UNITE visit www.operationunite.org.