Pennsylvania Y.E.S. Dates
Pennsylvania Y.E.S. 2010 will take place March 25 (6pm check-in) - March 29, 2010 (Pickup at 3pm). Students will be arriving on the Thursday evening of the program, and departing Monday midday.
Travel Arrangements
Students selected to participate in Pennsylvania Y.E.S. will be responsible for the cost of their own round-trip travel to the Harrisburg area. All travel arrangements to Harrisburg will be made with a Pennsylvania Y.E.S. volunteer. Students will be met at the host hotel by event coordinators.
Lodging Pennsylvania
Y.E.S. participants will stay at a local hotel in Harrisburg. Participants will be paired with one other student per room, with each student having his/her own bed. Rooming assignments will be made by event coordinators and no change of roommates will be permitted.
Each room will have a telephone, however, no room charges will be authorized. Students wishing to make long distance phone calls should bring a calling card, or be able to make collect calls.
Members of the opposite sex are strictly prohibited from entering into each other's rooms. Strict curfews will be enforced by staff, chaperones and security. Any violation of this policy will result in immediate dismissal and return home at the student's expense.
Any damages to hotel property will be charged to the student, as well as any unauthorized charges.
Supervision
Pennsylvania Y.E.S. participants will be supervised at all times. During activity hours, NRA staff, volunteers and chaperones will accompany students on all tours, excursions, activities and meals. During night time hours, staff and chaperones, working with lodging security, will monitor hallways and conduct room checks.
Health Considerations
The Pennsylvania Y.E.S. itinerary is strenuous (a typical day begins at 8:00 am and ends at 10:00 pm) and requires a lot of walking. Interested students with special needs should contact the volunteer, Charles Fox.
Code of Conduct
All participants will be required to sign a Code of Conduct agreement before their arrival in Harrisburg. This code will consist of such rules as no visiting rooms of members of the opposite sex; not consuming or possessing any alcoholic beverages or drugs (except those prescribed by a physician); not smoking; not abusing, defacing or stealing property or facilities; cooperating with Pennsylvania Y.E.S. staff at all times; participating in all Pennsylvania Y.E.S. activities; and obeying set curfews. Participants being sent home early because of disciplinary reasons will be expected to pay for program costs and transportation home.
Participation
Pennsylvania Y.E.S. students will be expected to participate in all scheduled activities, except when ill. As various thoughts and ideas will be expressed from students of different backgrounds, it is important that students be respectful, tolerant and open-minded during the program. Students will not be allowed to leave the hotel or the group during the program unless the student receives specific permission from the event coordinators before program commencement. Outside visitors are strongly discouraged.
Pennsylvania Y.E.S. Grand Award
Two students will be selected at the conclusion of the Pennsylvania Y.E.S. program, to attend the week-long National Youth Education Summit in Washington D.C., all expenses paid, in July 12-18 of 2010. The selection will be made based on the student’s participation throughout the program, and by the application submitted. The winners of the Grand Award will be announced at the Awards Dinner on the Saturday night of the Pennsylvania Y.E.S.
Activities
The schedule for the Pennsylvania Y.E.S. is still in the works. However, following is a list activities that have been scheduled in other State Y.E.S. programs. We try to keep the program similar in each state, so here are some probable activities: tour the State Capitol Building/House & Senate, tour Governor’s Office or Mansion, meet state legislators and/or Governor, or someone from their staff, tour state Supreme Court, visit any museums relating to the state’s history and government, meet with the Division of Wildlife or Game Commission for brief presentation about the important role they play in the state’s wildlife, shooting and safety training at a local range, an introduction to public speaking, including a brief presentation about how to make a good speech, an introduction to debating, and student debates on current events, a legislative breakfast with a guest speaker, where students are introduced to NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action (ILA), and the state’s political and legislative activities are discussed with the students, as well as how they can become involved. A preliminary itinerary will be available closer to the program.
Preparing for the Pennsylvania Y.E.S.
Students who are selected to participate in the Pennsylvania Y.E.S. will need to spend some time preparing for the program. During the Y.E.S., students will be asked to participate in debates and speeches. Debate topics will range from National and World current events, and controversial issues, to current events and issues in the shooting sports industry. Students may want to watch the evening news, and read the newspaper in the weeks prior to the Pennsylvania Y.E.S. so that they are fully aware of current issues in the world around them. Examples of debate topics might be, “Should pilots be required to carry firearms?”, and “Should women serve in combat?”. A wireless laptop computer would be acceptable in the classroom for reference work.
Click here to return to the Pennsylvania Y.E.S. homepage