The Youth Education Summit (YES), sponsored by the National Rifle Association, is a program that focuses on high school sophomores and juniors.
YES is one week in Washington D.C., jam-packed with tours, speakers, and experiences of a lifetime. The goal of YES is to give American teens a better understanding and knowledge of the Second Amendment to the Constitution, “The right to keep and bear arms” and other important rights. The NRA chooses one student from each state to attend a seven-day, all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. Applying for YES consists of writing an extensive essay, researching and preparing for speeches and debates on topics assigned to you by the NRA.
In mid-July, the NRA flew me to Washington, D.C. When I arrived in D.C., they had a van waiting for me at the airport to escort me to the hotel where I would be staying with other students. On the first full day of the event, we were given a tour of NRA headquarters, gave our speeches, had debates, and visited the Lincoln Memorial. Over the next five days, we visited the Washington Monument, the Jefferson, Iwo Jima, Vietnam and Korean memorials. We were also able to visit Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon, the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Old Supreme Court building and the National Archives. At the end of the week, we were exhausted but exhilarated by all we had learned.
YES is a valuable experience that any and every sophomore or junior in high school should consider applying for. You will learn about your government at the national level, about your personal rights as an American, and how to protect and defend them. I encourage you to log onto the NRA Web site for more information.
Ben French,
Paradise