NWANA Nordic Walking Groups

School Nordic Walking Group License

Purpose of the License

The School Nordic Walking Group License is an NWANA group license intended for the creation and gradual development of a Nordic Walking Group connected with a specific K–12 school or school district.

The license applies to the group as a separate group within the NWANA system. It is not an individual participant license, a teaching or coaching credential, a school accreditation, or an athlete competition license.

Available Group Formats

A School Nordic Walking Group may operate as:

a program operated by the school;
a school club or extracurricular activity;
a program operated by a school district;
an initiative conducted by an authorized community partner;
another format approved by the school or school district.

In every format, a group connected with a specific school may be created only by the school, the school district, or with its permission.

Authorization from the School

A student, parent, teacher, school employee, volunteer, community partner, or another eligible person may propose the creation of a Nordic Walking Group at a particular school.

However, obtaining an Individual School License does not, by itself, authorize that person to:

represent the school or school district;
use its name, logo, facilities, student lists, internal communication channels, or other resources;
establish a group as an official school program;
conduct activities involving students;
make commitments or collect funds on behalf of the school.

NWANA may request confirmation that the school or school district has authorized the creation of the group and the use of its identity.

A group that has not been authorized by the school may not use the school’s name or present itself as a school program. A separate community initiative may instead be created under the appropriate Community Nordic Walking Group License without representing the school.

How a Licensed Group Is Created

The formation of a new School Nordic Walking Group may begin when at least one eligible Individual School License holder proposes the group and the selected school or school district authorizes its creation.

After the authorization is confirmed, NWANA creates the School Nordic Walking Group, provides it with a group license, and creates a dedicated page within the NWANA system.

The first registered participant becomes the first licensed participant associated with the new group. This person does not automatically become the group’s owner, leader, instructor, coach, or official school representative and is not required to organize its activities.

The school or school district determines who is authorized to represent it and who may perform leadership, instructional, supervisory, or administrative functions within the group.

Who the Group May Serve

The school or school district determines the intended audience and permitted age groups for its School Nordic Walking Group.

Depending on the approved format, the group may serve:

students of specified grades or age groups;
teachers and school employees;
parents and family members;
authorized volunteers;
participants in school wellness, physical education, recreation, or extracurricular programs;
other participants approved by the school.

The group license does not independently provide access to students, school facilities, programs, records, communication systems, or other school resources.

What the Group License Provides

The School Nordic Walking Group License allows the authorized group to:

operate within the NWANA system as a Nordic Walking Group connected with the participating school;
have a dedicated page for approved information, registration, news, programs, and events;
welcome eligible Individual School License holders;
introduce Nordic Walking opportunities within the school community;
organize approved walks, clubs, programs, and school activities;
invite appropriately qualified instructors, coaches, and other professionals;
participate in NWANA programs and events;
organize its own approved in-person and virtual events and competitions;
develop gradually toward RECOGNIZED status.

Obtaining the group license does not require the school or group to begin any activities immediately.

Cost of the Group License

The initial School Nordic Walking Group License is provided free of charge.

Creating the group and its dedicated page is also free. During the initial stage, the group does not pay an annual NWANA fee.

The $200 annual group license fee applies only after the group voluntarily receives RECOGNIZED status.

No Initial NWANA Requirements

Obtaining and maintaining the initial group license does not require NWANA to impose:

a minimum number of participants;
the immediate appointment of a group leader;
an instructor, coach, or judge;
regular walks, practices, or training sessions;
organized events or competitions;
the collection of membership fees;
an immediate application for RECOGNIZED status.

The group may begin with one interested and eligible participant and develop at a pace approved by the participating school.

The school or school district may establish its own requirements before permitting the group to begin activities.

School Responsibility and Activities Involving Minors

The participating school or school district determines and oversees:

the approved program format;
the ages and grades of participating students;
adult leadership and supervision;
access to school facilities and resources;
parent or guardian permissions;
student safety and safeguarding requirements;
screening or background-check requirements for adults when applicable;
communication, transportation, insurance, and event procedures;
any other policies applicable to activities involving minors.

The School Nordic Walking Group License does not replace school approval, parental permission, safeguarding procedures, background checks, or any other requirements established by the school, school district, or applicable authorities.

Information concerning students may be published or collected through the group’s page only in the manner authorized by the participating school and consistent with its applicable policies.

Possible Areas of Development

Depending on the interests of the participants and the authorization provided by the school, the group may gradually develop:

introductory Nordic Walking activities;
student clubs and extracurricular programs;
recreational walks and physical activity programs;
instruction provided by appropriately qualified professionals;
school wellness and community-engagement activities;
family and intergenerational events;
recreational or competitive training programs;
educational events and workshops;
participation in NWANA competitions and other events;
its own approved in-person and virtual competitions;
volunteer, partnership, sponsorship, and fundraising initiatives.

None of these activities is required by NWANA for the group to maintain its initial license.

Qualified Activities

The group license does not, by itself, authorize any participant to teach Nordic Walking technique, provide professional instruction, coach students or athletes, supervise minors, or serve as a judge.

A person must have the appropriate training, license, qualification, school approval, and any other required authorization to perform these activities.

The group may exist and develop before it has an instructor, coach, or judge. Professional qualifications are not required for ordinary participation or authorized organizational and volunteer assistance.

All activities conducted under the school’s name must comply with the school’s authorization and policies.

Group Events and Competitions

A School Nordic Walking Group may organize its own in-person and virtual events and competitions as it develops and with the authorization of the participating school or school district.

The school determines the permitted participants, supervision, location, format, and other conditions for each activity.

Such an event may be presented as a competition of the group or participating school only to the extent authorized by the school.

If the group wishes to obtain separate designation for a competition as an official NWANA competition, that designation must be arranged separately in accordance with NWANA rules.

Financial Structure

During the initial stage, payments associated with approved group programs and events and collected through the NWANA-created page are processed through NWANA.

After NWANA operating expenses, these funds may be used to support the group’s page, events, programs, and continued development.

Any fundraising, sponsorship, collection of fees, or other financial activity conducted under the school’s name must be authorized by the school or school district.

If the group later receives RECOGNIZED status, it may be provided with expanded administrative capabilities and its own payment structure within the NWANA system, subject to the applicable arrangements with the participating school or school district.

RECOGNIZED Status

RECOGNIZED status applies to the group and its group license, not to an individual participant.

Obtaining this status is optional. The group may remain at the initial stage for as long as necessary.

The requirements and application process for RECOGNIZED status will be published separately at the appropriate stage of the program’s development.

After the group receives RECOGNIZED status, the annual cost of its NWANA group license is $200.

Difference from the Individual School License

The School Nordic Walking Group License applies to the authorized group and is initially provided free of charge.

The Individual School License applies to a specific person and costs $20 per year. RunSignup automatically prorates the fee based on the time remaining in the current license year.

The Individual School License is intended for students, parents, educators, school employees, volunteers, authorized partners, and other eligible people interested in supporting the development of Nordic Walking at a specific K–12 school.

An applicant must have an appropriate connection with the selected school or authorization to participate in proposing or supporting the initiative. A person with no connection to the school may not register an Individual School License under the school’s name without its permission.

An Individual School License holder may join an existing authorized group or help propose the creation of a new group. The individual license does not authorize its holder to represent the school or create a group under the school’s name without permission.

Individual license holders may register for and participate in NWANA in-person and virtual competitions in accordance with the rules of each event. They receive a 5% discount on NWANA competition registration fees.

Neither the individual license nor the group license is an athlete competition license. If a separate athlete license is required for a particular competition, this requirement will be stated in the event rules. The athlete license can be obtained through https://license.nwaofna.org/.