Are You an Outstanding Young Shooter? The NRA Wants to Know

The NRA and Brownells are looking for the recipient of the next Outstanding Achievement Youth Award. You don’t need to make it in the X-ring every time to qualify. More important than accuracy, we’re looking for juniors and young adults who take an active part in the shooting sports through individual participation and educational pursuits.

There are a lot of things that make you eligible for the reward and we’ve listed them all below. If you decide you want to apply, even if you aren’t very involved with the shooting sports right now, meeting these requirements will help you gain a greater sense of responsibility and an appreciation for the variety of shooting sports opportunities available.

After you’ve met the requirements, you’ll receive an official NRA Youth Award Certificate and Medal recognizing your accomplishment and be eligible for our National contest. The most outstanding youth will receive $5,000! Second and third places will receive $3,000 and $2,000 each.

So what do you have to do?

There are six core requirements that everyone must complete. On top of that, you must select five out of 19 elective requirements in order to receive the award.

Core Requirements (All six required)

• Eligible through the year of your 21st birthday.
• Attend and complete one NRA Basic Firearm Training Course.
• Participate in the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program by earning a rating in one discipline.
• Attach an essay of no more than 1,000 words; the subject of the essay is “What the Shooting Sports has Taught Me,” describing why you began to participate in the shooting sports, the lessons learned and how you use these lessons in your everyday life.
• Three letters of reference, including one from your coach, and one from a teacher.
• A copy of your current school transcript.

Elective Requirements (you must complete a minimum of five)

• Earn an NRA Classification Card by competing in an NRA-sanctioned competitive shooting event.
• Present the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program to a group of elementary school-age children between pre-Kindergarten and third grade.
• Attend and complete an additional NRA Basic Firearm Training Course.
• Earn an additional rating in the NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program.
• Compete in an NRA-sanctioned Sectional, Regional, or State Championship.
• Participate in an NRA Postal Match.
• Attend or volunteer at an NRA Shooting Sports Camp.
• Attend or volunteer at a Friends of NRA event.
• Attend the NRA Annual Meeting.
• Attend an NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge event.
• Enter a submission for the NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest.
• Be a current member of a local shooting club or team.
• Participate in a summer camp shooting program.
• Assist in a wildlife conservation, ECHO, or Hunters for the Hungry program.
• Complete a state-sponsored hunter education course.
• Participate in a shooting or hunting clinic.
• Participate or serve as a volunteer at an NRA national shooting sports event.
• Participate in a Boy Scout, Venturing, Law Enforcement Explorer, 4-H, FFA, DeMolay, American Legion, Jaycee, JROTC, or other recognized youth shooting program.
• Visit the National Firearms Museum or another museum which features firearm displays.

An application form can be found here. The deadline to enter is May 1 of each year, so you have a little time but it’s best to get started early. These events can take a while and there’s a lot to do.

If you have any questions, contact the NRA Youth Programs Department at (703) 267-1505 or email oayaprogram@nrahq.org.

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