General Facts: OA, Archery and Hunter Education

The Facts about Outdoor Adventures (OA)

The Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation engaged Responsive Management, a premier survey analysis company, to conduct a research study involving a representative sample of 4,957 students. The 2013 survey results definitively and quantitatively support what OA students report.

“I have learned more about the outdoors in the first six weeks than I have learned my whole life,” said a student of Stone Middle School.

The survey rating for each of the 10 overall sporting unit program elements and the OA in general proved the OA program to be highly popular with 90% of the respondents. A whopping 92% of students responded that the OA prepared them to hunt, fish, shoot, camp, or go boating on their own or with a family member. Over 90% learned “a lot” or “a little” about wildlife management, ethics, values and wilderness stewardship.

More importantly, pre- and post-program survey comparisons indicated a positive shift from “good” to “excellent” when students were asked to rate their ability to participate in sports or physical activities, to develop friendships with other students, to maintain good relationships with their teachers, to stay out of trouble, and to get good grades.

The retail outdoor industry will be thrilled to learn that the survey indicated a marked increase in all types of equipment purchased post-program.

“The material covered in Outdoor Adventures cannot be found in any other class. It gives students a different view on the outdoors and teaches them how important the world around them really is”

~ Said a student of Arlington Martin High School

The Facts about Indoor Archery - National Archery in Schools Program

Occasionally, a school district administration will have some specific questions about the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s National Archery in Schools Program. The program is very popular with students. The following information is from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to help answer some potential questions:

  • NASP began in March 2002, with 22 Kentucky schools. The goal was to start one school archery program in each Kentucky County (120) in 3 years. That goal was achieved in 13 months.
  • In 2012, the program had grown to 46 states and four other countries, 2,200,000 students (4th-12th grades).
  • More students were involved in NASP than Little League Baseball in 2012.
  • 16,000 school teachers are ‘NASP Certified’ and teach archery. Most are physical education teachers but some teachers are math, science, language arts teachers.
  • About 1/3 of the schools have an after school archery program.
  • The 2012 NASP national tournament was the largest archery event in the world with more over 7,000 participants.
  • In a survey conducted by Responsive Management ® teachers told us:
        • NASP improves student self-confidence (84%)
        • NASP improves student motivation (78%)
        • NASP improves student behavior (73%)
        • NASP improves student attitudes (74%)
        • NASP improves student focus (66%)
        • NASP improves teacher/student relationship (70%)
        • NASP improves student performance in PE (43%)
        • NASP improves students learning skills (43%)

The Facts about Hunter Education

Occasionally, a school district administration will have some specific questions about the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s Hunter Education unit. The following information is from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to help answer some potential questions:

  • Currently in Texas, there are between 750-900 public schools teaching this course.
  • This safety course has been taught in public Texas schools since 1972.
  • This safety course is only 10 hours of instruction.
  • This unit is about 2 weeks of instruction time during an 18-week semester.
  • This safety course requires that the first five chapters in the hunter education manual be taught in order to certify a student.
  • Firearms are never brought onto a campus.
  • You do not have to fire a firearm in order to become certified.
  • At school, students are never taught how to load, unload or fire a firearm.
  • Students are taught about SAFETY.
  • Students are taught about ethics.
  • Students learn about wildlife conservation and management of our land.

While the Outdoors Tomorrow Foundation encourages the Hunter Education unit to be included in all of their OA programs, once a school district purchases a curriculum, it is the school administration’s option to choose the units of instruction their school will include in their OA courses.

Education