The NRA Youth Education Summit is a six-day, all-expense paid leadership and scholarship experience for rising high school juniors and seniors in the Washington, DC area. Each summer, 30-40 high school students are selected from across the country to participate in a week-long educational fellowship around our nation’s capital.
For two decades, the NRA's Youth Education Summit has gathered some of the brightest, most ambitious, and patriotic youth from across America in our nation's capital. Students spend an unforgettable week engaging with political leaders, exploring historical monuments, and honing their skills through competitive debates, all with the aim of enriching and inspiring our nation's future.
The Y.E.S. program's mission is to encourage students to explore the workings of our American government, the Bill of Rights, and the U.S. Constitution. Y.E.S. strives to inspire students to become responsible citizens who actively participate in the democratic process and who will return to their communities as advocates for the Second Amendment. Students can expect an action-packed week that includes:
- Meeting with NRA leadership
- Target practice at the NRA range
- Touring of the National Firearms Museum
- Practicing debates at Hillsdale College’s Center for Constitutional Studies & Citizenship
- Viewing the Constitution and Bill of Rights in-person at the National Archives
- Touring D.C. monuments and memorials
- Meeting with Congressmen & Congresswomen
- Taking an inside look at the U.S. Capitol Building
- Visiting the Supreme Court
- Exploring the National Museum of American History
- Walking around the Iwo Jima Memorial
- Attending the 8th & I Parade
- Walking the grounds of Mount Vernon
- Paying respect at Arlington National Cemetery
Past participant Brayden T. from North Carolina stated, “While attending Y.E.S., I interacted with one of the chaperones who was a college student, and a member of the Air Force ROTC at the University of Kentucky. My interactions with him, in addition to our visits to the various veteran’s memorials, sparked a desire to serve others through military service! Today, I am a senior at North Carolina State University, and a proud member of their Air Force ROTC, with plans to commission into the Air Force next spring!”
The Youth Education Summit is not solely about touring Washington, D.C. This summit offers an enriching educational experience that includes a total of $40,000 in college scholarships for students who display strong leadership abilities and a deep understanding of the week's activities, which encompass debates, seminars, public speaking, and more. Thanks to Friends of NRA fundraising and grants provided by The NRA Foundation, more than $700,000 in scholarships have been awarded since the creation of Y.E.S. in 1996.
Y.E.S. is open to current high school sophomores and juniors across the country. Aspiring participants must complete an application and submit their high school transcript, a three-page essay on the Second Amendment, a personal statement, and three letters of recommendation.
Y.E.S will be held July 16th-21st, 2024. Due to the anticipated high volume of applications, the application window is open for a limited time. Don’t miss the March 1st deadline! To find out more about the Youth Education Summit, including frequently asked questions, please visit our website: www.yes.nra.org. Make a lasting contribution by donating to the Y.E.S. Scholarship Fund: https://yes.nra.org/donate/
For further questions, please email [email protected].
