Youth Firearm Education, Shooting Leagues On The Rise

On July 1, 2025, Utah joined Tennessee and Arkansas in requiring their schools to include firearm safety lessons. All three adopted age-appropriate curriculum within the last two years, with a particular focus is on accident prevention.  

Each state’s mandatory sessions take place only a few times a year—in some cases, only once—eliminating concerns they compromise academic performance. They are designed by their respective state hunter education departments in concert with school officials, bringing decades of combined experience to bear in delivering a clear message.

At the kindergarten and grade-school level, the message is nearly, if not completely, identical to NRA’s highly regarded Eddie Eagle program. For more than 30 years, Eddie Eagle has worked with law-enforcement agencies, fire departments, schools and others nationwide. So far, it has taught tens of millions of pre-K to third-grade youths to “Stop. Don’t Touch. Run Away. Tell a Grown-Up.” if they see an unsupervised gun.

Instilling that basic understanding at a young age is not new. Before firearms became a hot political topic, and the population was more rural, children were often taught to never touch any firearm without the supervision of a responsible adult. It was even taught in schools.

The above photo (courtesy of the Library of Congress) was taken in 1942 in the basement of Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles, Calif. Muzzle discipline and gun safety was obviously integral—at least before the importance of eye and ear protection was fully understood. The girls were students there and members of the Victory Corps team in the fall of 1942.

From the early 1900s to the mid-1960s, high school shooting teams and clubs were common. Cased guns were brought to school on practice days without raising an eyebrow. Gyms and basements were routinely transformed into ranges when needed, and trophy cases proudly displayed marksmanship accomplishments.

Fast-forward to today, and a growing number of students are clamoring to join shooting teams nationwide. The next generation is passionate about the sport and eager to enroll in firing-line lessons and to test their newfound skills. 

Despite the now-required off-campus travel to an established range, their enthusiasm shows in the numbers. In October, the USA Clay Target League, which includes college and high school teams, announced it set a new fall record for participation. Meanwhile the Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Action Shooting Program are flourishing. There are dozens of others, including 4-H Shooting Sports and NRA’s America’s Rifle Challenge, particularly attractive to younger fans who prefer modern sporting rifles. Their safety records speak volumes.