The NRA Foundation has awarded $20,000 in scholarships to youths from all over the United States as part of the 2009 Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.) Grand Scholarship Contest. This year, there were many outstanding applications to review. Tyler McGee, 17, a junior at Apple Valley High School, president of the High Desert Magic 4-H in San Bernardino County, and teen leader of the shooting sports project, was chosen as one of the recipients and was awarded a $3,000 scholarship.
Tyler was chosen to attend the Y.E.S. program sponsored by the NRA Foundation last summer. The seven-day, expense-paid, educational experience in the nation’s capital provided an exciting opportunity for Tyler and 45 select high school sophomores and juniors from across the United States. While in Washington, D.C., the students met members of Congress, learned the significance of the Constitution, visited with scholars and experts, and toured national landmarks. This experience gave students an understanding of the federal government and the importance of an individual’s active participation in government affairs.
After attending Y.E.S., the students are asked to submit two projects in a portfolio format. The first is to communicate their experience at Y.E.S. and how it has contributed to their personal growth. Tyler wrote several articles posted on the state and national 4-H websites. The second is to introduce an NRA program that they learned about during their Y.E.S. experience to their community and relay the results of the program in their portfolio. Tyler presented the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program to all the first graders in the Apple Valley Unified School District to teach them the safety rules needed in case they find a gun: stop, don't touch, leave the area, tell an adult.
For more information about the Youth Education Summit, visit www.friendsofnra.org/yes or contact Laura Dindal, Event Services Manager, at (800) 672-3888, extension 1354, or email her at ldindal@nrahq.org.
