Fairfax, Virginia -- The NRA Foundation has announced the award of $12,000 in college scholarships to winners of this year's Youth Education Summit (YES) Grand Scholarship contest. Scholarships were awarded as follows: $7,500 to Laura Wegmann (Woodburn, Indiana); $2,000 to Jacob Thompson (Fillmore, Utah); $1,500 to Katelynne Baier (Centerburg, Ohio); and $1,000 to Mitchell Gatesman (Clarion, Pennsylvania). The scholarships are paid directly to the accredited college or technical school of the students' choice.
The YES program is designed to encourage America's youth to become active and knowledgeable citizens. Each summer, The NRA Foundation holds a Youth Education Summit, a seven-day, expense-paid educational experience in Washington, D.C., for high school sophomores and juniors. While in the nation's capital, students learn the significance of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights while developing an understanding of federal government and the importance of their active participation in governmental affairs.
Students who wish to submit applications for the Grand Scholarship awards must first attend a Youth Education Summit. After attending, students have eight months to work on their Grand Scholarship applications. Students can choose to develop portfolios that communicate their experiences at the Youth Education Summit and how these experiences have contributed to their personal growth, or they may introduce an NRA program to their communities. Many applicants have selected both options for their applications and have gone so far as to introduce multiple NRA programs into their communities. Applications are judged on quality, diversification, and quantity. The applications for this year’s Grand Scholarship awards were submitted by attendees of the 2007 summit. The 2008 YES program will take place on July 7-13.
The YES program is funded through state and national grants from The NRA Foundation. Much of the money is raised through Friends of NRA, a grassroots fund-raising program which utilizes banquets, auctions, and raffles as a primary means of raising money. Since 1993, more than 7,200 Friends of NRA events have been held across the country, raising over $70 million. Half of the proceeds raised by each of the committees are used to support programs in their home states. The NRA Foundation awards the other half to qualifying national programs, including those of the NRA. For more information, visit www.friendsofnra.org or contact Laura Dindal, Event Services Manager, at (800) 672-3888, extension 1354, or e-mail her at ldindal@nrahq.org.
The NRA Foundation, Inc. was established in 1990, and is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that raises tax-deductible contributions in support of a wide range of firearm-related public interest activities of the NRA and other organizations that defend and foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding Americans. These activities are designed to promote firearm and hunting safety, enhance the marksmanship skills of those participating in the shooting sports, and educate the general public about firearms in their historic, technological, and artistic context. For more information about The NRA Foundation, visit its Web site at www.nrafoundation.org, or call (800) 672-4521.
Media Contact:
Dan Feldbusch (703) 267-1595