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4-H Shooting Sports
| Name | Darren Atkins | | Situation | Newberry County, like other counties in the state, are without a 4-H agent to keep the clubs intact. As the Natural Resource Agent, I wanted to do what I could to establish a club and keep the youth active. Statistics say that youth who are a part of some organized club or activity are less likely to become high-school drop-outs. Since I have expertise in firearms and was aware of the concern with children with firearms and violence, I felt that it would be appropriate to teach youth the purposes of firearms and how to handle them safely. | | Response | I offered a 4-H shooting sports program to address the two needs that I assessed above. After 4 weeks and 8 meetings, firearms handling techniques were learned, a respect was gained for the sport of shooting, and a 4-H club was formed with eager 10-13 year-olds. The club continues to meet monthly and possibly weekly in the coming future. | | Impact | It is almost impossible to measure how many of the club members could have possibly ended up a dropout, but involving these youth in a club has made a difference. When club meetings and events are held, the excitement is evident that the children want to be there. The youth now have a better respect for firearms and view them in light of a tool used in a sport and not as a weapon to be used in a violent activity. |
Last update8/15/2007
This website is maintained by Bryan Smith.
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