National Scholastic Sportsman Program To Become an NRA Youth Cooperative Organization
FAIRFAX, VA – Bill Poole, Director of the NRA’s Education & Training Division is pleased to announce that the National Scholastic Sportsman Program (NSSP) will become one of NRA’s Cooperative Youth Organizations. NSSP is a conservation and education organization for middle and high school students who are enthusiastic about the outdoors. The coeducational program includes various areas of interest including hunting, gun safety, fishing, camping, hiking, boat safety and other outdoors activities. Schools across the country can develop NSSP chapters for students already participating in outdoor activities, as well as those who have yet to be exposed to the fun and adventure of an outdoor lifestyle.
NRA met with NSSP President Cliff Flournoy and other NSSP leaders in Paducah, Kentucky to discuss establishing NSSP as a Cooperative Youth Organization. To kick off this exciting new partnership, the Education & Training Division and the Sportsman Channel will be jointly sponsoring NSSP’s Summit Awards Banquet in Metropolis, Illinois in February 2009. This sponsorship will allow advisors from approximately 145 school chapters to travel to the Summit Awards Banquet. Awards presented will include Officer of the Year, Advisor of the Year, Female NSSP Student of the Year, Male NSSP Student of the Year, and Chapter of the Year.
In addition, NSSP will be using NRA’s Basic Rifle and Shotgun courses as part of their gun safety curriculum. “Like many other organizations that include the shooting sports as part of their activities, NSSP recognizes NRA certified courses as the national standard for firearms education and training,” said Bill Poole.
NSSP joins the ranks of the Boy Scouts of America, Royal Rangers, DeMolay, and National High School Rodeo Association in adopting NRA’s courses as their core firearms safety and training program. Of the new partnership, NSSP President Cliff Flournoy said, “We’re excited about NRA coming on board in our 3rd year to help build our credibility and a respectable gun safety program to help us get involved with more schools.”
To learn more about this partnership or NRA Youth Cooperative Organizations, contact Larry Quandahl, Manager of NRA Youth Programs, Education & Training Division, (703) 267-1596. To learn more about NSSP, visit www.nsspoutdoors.org. For the latest news about NRA programs, visit www.NRABlog.com