Youth Programs

Shooting Classes Offered for Youth at BASF

The courses listed include instruction on the rules of gun safety, basic operation of firearms and the history of firearms and marksmanship.

Ben Avery Shooting Facility has youth programs

The curriculum is presented and may be used in whole, or in part, depending on the needs of the school district. Instructors for the course are selected and employed by the school in which the course is offered, and their qualification as a firearms instructor for a nationally recognized organization is verified by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

classes for youth

Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP)

This is a team-based sport designed to introduce young people to shotgun shooting and the clay target sports of Trap, Skeet and Sporting Clays. For more information, contact Steven McClure at 602 942-3000.

Archery in the Schools Program

This program is designed to introduce Olympic-style archery into elementary, middle and high schools throughout Arizona. The program provides school P.E. programs with training and curriculum to introduce youth to archery. For more information, contact TomRowan@azgfd.gov at 623 236-7605.

Hunter Education

Hunter education [add link] is a youth and family program with two class offerings. The Basic class is a minimum 20 hour course covering firearms. The combination class is a minimum 28 hour course covering the basic class and bow hunting. For more information call the Education Branch 623 236-7235.

Arizona Gun Safety Program

With the passage of Senate Bill 1271 in 2005, Arizona school districts and charter schools are able to offer an elective one-semester course in firearms marksmanship. Since no such course existed when the law was passed, the Arizona Gun Safety Program curriculum was jointly developed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the Department of Public Safety, private firearms organizations, teachers, principals, authors and individual citizens.

The resulting course includes instruction on the rules of gun safety; basic operation of firearms; the history of firearms and marksmanship; the role of firearms in preserving peace and freedom; the constitutional roots of the right to keep and bear arms; the use of clay targets; practice time at a shooting range and demonstration of competence with a firearm. The entire curriculum is presented and may be used in whole, or in part, depending on the needs of the school district. Instructors for the course are selected and employed by the school in which the course is offered, and their qualification as a firearms instructor for a nationally recognized organization is verified by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.