BRANSON, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (MCHF) will be hosting the 2021 Missouri National Archery in Schools Program (MoNASP) State Tournament March 18-20 at the Branson Convention Center in Branson.

More than 3,000 student archers from throughout Missouri are scheduled to compete in the state tournament after shooting qualifying scores through various local MoNASP tournaments over the past year. These and other MoNASP student archers will be eligible to participate in the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) virtual national tournament. Learn more at nasptournaments.org.

Supporters are invited to attend the state tournament for a fee and must follow COVID-19 health and safety protocols set for all event attendees. Masks will be required in the Branson Convention Center and masks will be provided if needed. The temperature of each attendee will be taken as they enter the Convention Center. Participants and supporters will be required to maintain distances of six feet apart with those not in their immediate group. Sanitizing stations with hand sanitizer will be placed throughout the location. For more information on COVID-19 protocols at the 2021 MoNASP State Tournament, visit mochf.org/covid-19-protocols-at-monasp-state-tournament/.

In addition to the tournament competition, the event will include a variety of socially distanced activities for attendees such as skills competitions and games, animal encounters and educational programs, a gaming trailer and hunting trailer, a scavenger hunt, and more. For details on activities and admission fees, visit MCHF online at mochf.org/monasp-schedule-of-activities/.

For hotel information, go to mochf.org/event/missouri-national-archery-in-the-schools/#hotels.

If interested in volunteering, visit mochf.org/monasp-volunteer-sign-up-form/.

“We are especially excited to be able to hold this year’s MoNASP state tournament after last year’s event had to be cancelled due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic,” said MDC Education Outreach Coordinator Eric Edwards, who coordinates MoNASP activities. “We look forward to offering an exciting weekend full of activities for both participants and supporters in an environment that also promotes health and safety.”

MoNASP is coordinated through MDC, MCHF, and the Conservation Federation of Missouri in partnership with more than 800 participating schools and numerous supporting organizations throughout the state. More than 85,000 Missouri students participate in the program. MoNASP is an affiliate of NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) and is an in-school program for grades 4 through 12 that teaches the basics of archery, along with the confidence, self-control, patience and discipline necessary to success both behind the bow and in school and life. It provides an engaging activity that’s inclusive of nearly all children, regardless of age, size, or physical ability. Statistics show that school archery programs improve participants’ school attendance, increase their self-esteem and physical activity, and help get kids outside. 

For more information on MoNASP and the state tournament, contact MDC Education Outreach Coordinator Eric Edwards at 573-522-4115, ext. 3295, or Eric.Edwards@mdc.mo.gov.

For more information on state tournament activities, contact Tricia Burkhardt of MCHF at 573-634-2080 or Tricia.Burkhardt@mdc.mo.gov.