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The NRA Youth Education Summit offers a week of learning, growth, and opportunities to win college scholarships!
The NRA Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.) wrapped up its 2024 session with another exceptional week of leadership development and scholarship opportunities for rising high school juniors and seniors. Held from July 16th-21st in Washington, D.C., this all-expense-paid program brought together some of America's most promising young leaders to engage with our nation’s history and political landscape.
This year's summit hosted 22 students who participated in a diverse range of activities, including competitive debates, visits to key landmarks, and insightful discussions with notable NRA figures. Highlights included a visit to NRA Headquarters, where participants enjoyed shooting at the NRA Range—a favorite among attendees. The week also featured explorations of Capitol Hill, the National Archives Museum, and various monuments and memorials, including a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Annie D. from Mobile, Alabama commented that Y.E.S. “has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It has allowed me to make everlasting friendships with people on the other side of the country who I would not have met without this wonderful program. On top of that, it's taken me out of my comfort zone, allowing me to do things which I've never really done before, and having fun with it at the same time. I'm forever grateful for what the NRA has done for me.”
Debates were a key component of the summit, with students tackling topics such as "Artificial Intelligence Should Be Utilized by The Government”, “Students Should Be Allowed to Carry Firearms on College Campuses", and “The U.S. Should Be Involved in Foreign Wars.” Their performance in these debates, along with overall participation, current events discussion, attentiveness, and willingness to learn contributed to the awarding of $16,000 in End-of-Week scholarships.
Y.E.S. students return to their communities with a solid grasp of NRA programs and the shooting sports, and the motivation to introduce these programs locally. Popular programs to bring back home include safety programs such as the Eddie Eagle Gunsafe® Program, Refuse to be a Victim®, and Women on Target®. This year's students have 10 months to promote NRA programs and gun safety in their communities, document their efforts in a portfolio, and apply for the Grand Scholarship, which features a prize pool exceeding $20,000!
The NRA Youth Education Summit, supported by Friends of NRA Committees and Field Representatives, has awarded over $700,000 in scholarships since its inception in 1996.
Applications for the 2025 NRA Youth Education Summit will open in Fall 2024. To learn more about this enriching program, visit YES.NRA.org and follow Y.E.S. on Facebook and Instagram at @NRAYouthEducationSummit for updates.
Contact: Riley Hoaglin, NRA Youth Education Summit Coordinator