Guns Come To CO Middle School In The Name Of Safety (Video)

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Watch as the children in this school get a class on firearms.

“We’re teaching them about the firearms so they are familiar with them, they can be safe with them,” the program’s state coordinator, Jim Heath, told a local CBS affiliate during one of the training days at Craver Middle School.

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Guns reports Students at one Colorado City middle school had the unique opportunity to learn a different – and sometimes controversial – kind of lesson this week. The youngsters spent three days learning about gun safety through a program known as Project Appleseed.

“We’re teaching them about the firearms so they are familiar with them, they can be safe with them,” the program’s state coordinator, Jim Heath, told a local NBC affiliate during one of the training days at Craver Middle School.

Heath explained he feels it is better for young boys and girls to know about guns and how to handle them, essentially replacing fear with respect.

“It’s not, ‘Oh, what’s this? What can we do with this?’” Heath said.

The three day program consists of two days of learning how to safely and properly handle guns, and on the third day, students get the opportunity to take that training to the range and practice the skills they have learned with live rounds.

But Project Appleseed doesn’t solely focus on safety and training either. The program’s foundation centers around American history, and students learn where firearms came from and why the American people have them. According to the Project Appleseed website, owning and mastering a rifle is an American heritage.

This is the third year in a row volunteers have brought the program to the middle school, and while some students had prior experience with firearms, most think the program is a good idea.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” said 7th grade student Tristin Baker. “It’s something that you don’t get to see every day.”

Eighth grade student Courtney Proctor, who is familiar with firearms and has been shooting with her family, said the program offers a chance to look at a lot of different guns, many more than most people have in their homes.

Photo:  Bing

Here’s why one group is bringing guns to schools.

Posted by NBC News on Thursday, March 17, 2016

1 COMMENT

  1. We are the Colorado state coordinators for Project Appleseed, which put on this event. We are a nationwide non-profit group that teaches traditional rifle marksmanship skills, but mainly we teach about our shared American heritage through stories of April 19, 1775, the battles of Lexington and Concord, the shot heard ‘round the world, and brave individuals that sacrificed to secure our liberties.

    This was our third year at Craver Middle School; the community and parents support this curriculum. The school runs an “intensives” week. The students this year had about 7 choices for their intensive. This class, the most popular, turns away students each year. The parents must opt their child into the class.

    We teach American history and include hands-on activities to engage the students. They heard about the foods of the time and got to make and eat hardtack. They heard about medical care of that time and got to do an “amputation.” They learned of the flags and their symbolism and were able to create their own flags representing what’s important in their lives. They learned that kids were often tasked with the job of making cartridges and were able to make cartridges with wax bullets and coffee grounds (for powder). Some of us wore historic costumes.

    Yes, we did bring guns into the classroom, both historic and modern, which is permitted for educational purposes. No ammo was brought into the room. Gun safety was discussed repeatedly. For a short period of time they were allowed to handle the guns, which were then cased and put away. The student had to ask to see one. The instructors handed the firearm to the student, showing them it was clear and the student had to check it. They had to take it from us and demonstrate that their finger was off the trigger. They were allowed to dry fire after asking permission to do so, all while we stood right over them and the muzzles were in a safe direction. They then handed the firearm back to us and we opened the action and confirmed together that it was clear before laying it back on the table. They were taught that they should never handle a firearm unless an adult demonstrates it is clear before handing it to them and that the muzzle always stays in a safe direction, even if unloaded.

    At the range, the safety rules were discussed over and over. You would have been proud to see how these kids took to those rules. We had a large number of instructors and volunteers on top of the kids, almost a 2:1 ratio, and had donations of ammo from the community.

    Please check out Project Appleseed and get your family to an event. It is appropriate for the new shooter and for those that have been shooting 40 years. All will learn new skills. http://appleseedinfo.org/

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