Students at Jemison Middle School will soon be in the midst of learning the sport of archery thanks to a PEECh grant recently received by the school.

According to JMS physical education teachers Rachel Holmes and Britt Roshan, the grant is worth $1,000, which will help pay for 12 bows, targets, arrows and a net to be used if performing in the gym as opposed to outside.

The equipment package costs roughly $3,000. The remaining amount was raised through a school fundraiser and a grant from the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“It is equipment that we can use daily whether it’s in the classroom or for special events,” Roshan said. “This is something we wanted to do, but we couldn’t have done it without the PEECh grant. It’s a blessing.”

Archery training for both Holmes and Rashon will also be included in the final cost.

According to Roshan, purchasing the necessary archery tools will open up other avenues, such as the creation of an archery club if the interest exists.

JMS students completed a survey prior to the end of the last school year and offered suggestions of certain sports that they would like to see implemented in the curriculum outside of the usual sports, such as football, basketball and volleyball.

“Archery was No. 1 on the list, so we figured after that we better try to get some equipment,” Holmes said.

The survey served as an effective way for Holmes and Rashon to understand what their students wanted instead of guessing and spending the money on a sport very few students were passionate about.

“A lot of kids here in this community have their own bows and are already interested in shooting,” Rashon said.

Holmes plans to order the materials this week and installment of an archery curriculum will begin before the end of this school year.

“We’re very excited that somebody is out there looking at our schools and focusing on the needs that our kids have,” Holmes said. “We’re ready to get started.”