one school gets it

raevan · November 22nd, 2006, 10:30 PM

I wish others would do this,

School fits gun education into curriculum
By DAN JOLING
Associated Press writer Tuesday, November 21, 2006

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Tom Milliron figures Juneau school children are going to encounter guns one way or another, whether venturing armed into nearby wilderness or visiting the home of a friend.

Better they learn how to handle a firearm safely than to hurt themselves through ignorance, he says.

Milliron is principal of one of Juneau's two middle schools. Sixth-graders under his care last month completed an outdoor education course that included instruction in safe handling of guns and firing rounds from .22-caliber rifles. For some children, it was the first time they'd touched a gun.

In gun-happy Alaska, teaching children how to safely handle firearms is just common sense, Milliron said.
"Kids ought to be approached from a solid educational perspective and not discover guns on their own," Milliron said.

Juneau, population 31,193, can be reached only by water or air. It's in the heart of America's largest national forest, the Tongass.

Juneau's front yard is the Inside Passage, the protected Pacific waters off Alaska's Panhandle. Its backyard is the Juneau Icefield, a 1,500-square-mile blanket of ice that feeds 38 glaciers. Most residents hike, ski, fish, hunt or kayak.

"That's what makes it worth it," Milliron said of living in temperate rain forest. "We certainly don't live here for the weather."

Sitka blacktail deer abound in the forest. Black bears often wander into the city during seasonal migrations, stopping to dine on garbage or bird seed if residents leave them unprotected. Grizzly bears are kings of the forest, especially on nearby islands.

"A lot of people who aren't hunters carry firearms for that reason," Milliron said.

Milliron used to teach in Cube Cove, a logging camp on Admiralty Island. Outdoor education was crucial in such a wild setting, he said. He took the job at Juneau's Floyd Dryden Middle School eight years ago and found volunteers who wanted firearm education in public schools, including Tom Coate.

More than two decades ago, Coate had taught his 10-year-old son, Tobin, how to safely handle guns before they went waterfowl hunting. Then his son's friends wanted to go too. They were "dumber than a brick" about gun safety, Coate said.

He helped promote hunter safety programs in a 4-H club, then at rural village schools, and starting in 2000, at the Juneau middle school. About 1,200 students have taken the course.

The program has provided a counterbalance to the portrayal of guns on "the idiot tube," Coate said.

"What we're trying to do is mitigate the onslaught of very bad habits that cause needless deaths and needless accidents," Coate said.

Guns are simply a way of life in Southeast Alaska, Milliron and Coate said.

"For every home that doesn't have a firearm it in, there are 25 that do," Coate said.

Sixth grade, when students are still in awe of teachers, is the perfect setting to teach gun safety, Milliron said.

"In sixth grade, we can get kids to internalize the need to practice safety around firearms," he said. "They're willing to listen to instructors and take to heart what instructors tell them."

As part of their outdoors education, students take the standard state of Alaska hunter safety education course. After safety lessons, they take a "shoot-don't shoot" field course, deciding whether it would have been safe to discharge a weapon at an animal simulated by a silhouette.

They also must demonstrate proficiency in firing a weapon, shooting 20 rounds from .22-caliber rifles at Juneau's indoor firing range.

Taylor Daniels, 11, learned she should never direct a muzzle at another person and never shoot across a highway. She learned that keeping a rifle's action open will render it inoperative, and that the barrel wiggles far less if she's kneeling instead of standing when she shoots.

Phillip Fenumiai, 12, said he felt confident he can handle a rifle.

"If someone asked me, I could do the proper things and learn how to keep myself safe and make sure I'm handling it safely," he said.

The program has not been adopted at the city's other middle school.

"I think the administrators feeling on it was that that was something we felt families would support rather than school," said Barb Mecum, principal of Dzantik'i Heeni Middle school.

But even gun control advocates don't have much reaction to programs that teach gun safety, such as the one in Juneau.

"We generally don't have much of a problem with them as long as the actual firing of weapons is off campus and there's the appropriate law enforcement, professional trainers, present," said Peter Hamm, communications director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

"We think it's far better that people know how to safely handle a firearm than not know," he said.

Sixth grade is an appropriate age for training, as long as parents approve, he said.

Besides gun safety, children took lessons on appropriate outdoor clothing, wildlife conservation, and reading a compass and a topographical map. They learned hunting ethics and meat care -- turning Bullwinkle into an entree.

Milliron says the class does not try to turn the sixth graders into little hunters. If they do, it's a good, healthy activity that will last a lifetime, he said.

Milliron said students love the program. "It's education that's real life. It's not, 'Why am I learning this,"' he said.

"They won't remember the first time they learned to divide a polynomial, but they will remember the first time they fired a rifle and learned firearm safety," he said

HotGuns · November 22nd, 2006, 10:39 PM

Exellent.

At least they arent instill a culture of FEAR about guns like most other schools do.

P95Carry · November 22nd, 2006, 10:53 PM

Takes somewhere sensible like AK or VT perhaps to get things into perspective and do something sensible.

What is the old adage? ''A little (or no) learning is a dangerous thing''. So many kids finish up with little or no knowledge of firearms and what they do hear is so often misinformation or crap gleaned from Hollywierd and vid games.

Much better educate safely. Many may not choose to become shooters or firearms owners but heck - at least they'll be informed.

PatrioticRick · November 23rd, 2006, 04:15 AM

We can hope this will expand to other states as well.

ELCruisr · November 23rd, 2006, 07:38 AM

Wow, that's great! I wish more would see the light. I remember getting shot down in flames by my principle in high school in rural VT in the 70's for trying to start a shooting team. Would love to see a change like this in even basic firearms training and safety.

ccw9mm · November 23rd, 2006, 09:50 AM

Quote:

"We generally don't have much of a problem with them as long as the actual firing of weapons is off campus and there's the appropriate law enforcement, professional trainers, present," said Peter Hamm, communications director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

The Brady bunch also get it. Hard not to, with the focus on safety and basic shooting competencies.

Quote:

"We think it's far better that people know how to safely handle a firearm than not know," he said.

It is that simple.

Quote:

Milliron said students love the program. "It's education that's real life. It's not, 'Why am I learning this,"' he said.

Not least, I'm sure, because even 6th-grade aged kids realize the sanity and wisdom of learning correctly about something that has the potential to kill if misused.

Good for them! May that common sense thinking spread like wildfire.

randytulsa2 · November 23rd, 2006, 10:24 AM

Why not everywhere?

raevan · November 23rd, 2006, 04:52 PM

Way back in the 60's our high school had a rifle team and a shotgun team, very few schools do that now.

retsupt99 · November 23rd, 2006, 08:20 PM

should be part of every school curriculum...
I would rather see them hand out targets to use than condoms...

Congrats to Alaska...worked in the schools there for 7 years!

OMO

ret

srfl · November 24th, 2006, 12:37 AM

Bravo...a truly progressive education program at work!

November 22nd, 2006, 10:30 PM	#1
raevan VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: washington Posts: 4,320	one school gets it I wish others would do this, School fits gun education into curriculum By DAN JOLING Associated Press writer Tuesday, November 21, 2006 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Tom Milliron figures Juneau school children are going to encounter guns one way or another, whether venturing armed into nearby wilderness or visiting the home of a friend. Better they learn how to handle a firearm safely than to hurt themselves through ignorance, he says. Milliron is principal of one of Juneau's two middle schools. Sixth-graders under his care last month completed an outdoor education course that included instruction in safe handling of guns and firing rounds from .22-caliber rifles. For some children, it was the first time they'd touched a gun. In gun-happy Alaska, teaching children how to safely handle firearms is just common sense, Milliron said. "Kids ought to be approached from a solid educational perspective and not discover guns on their own," Milliron said. Juneau, population 31,193, can be reached only by water or air. It's in the heart of America's largest national forest, the Tongass. Juneau's front yard is the Inside Passage, the protected Pacific waters off Alaska's Panhandle. Its backyard is the Juneau Icefield, a 1,500-square-mile blanket of ice that feeds 38 glaciers. Most residents hike, ski, fish, hunt or kayak. "That's what makes it worth it," Milliron said of living in temperate rain forest. "We certainly don't live here for the weather." Sitka blacktail deer abound in the forest. Black bears often wander into the city during seasonal migrations, stopping to dine on garbage or bird seed if residents leave them unprotected. Grizzly bears are kings of the forest, especially on nearby islands. "A lot of people who aren't hunters carry firearms for that reason," Milliron said. Milliron used to teach in Cube Cove, a logging camp on Admiralty Island. Outdoor education was crucial in such a wild setting, he said. He took the job at Juneau's Floyd Dryden Middle School eight years ago and found volunteers who wanted firearm education in public schools, including Tom Coate. More than two decades ago, Coate had taught his 10-year-old son, Tobin, how to safely handle guns before they went waterfowl hunting. Then his son's friends wanted to go too. They were "dumber than a brick" about gun safety, Coate said. He helped promote hunter safety programs in a 4-H club, then at rural village schools, and starting in 2000, at the Juneau middle school. About 1,200 students have taken the course. The program has provided a counterbalance to the portrayal of guns on "the idiot tube," Coate said. "What we're trying to do is mitigate the onslaught of very bad habits that cause needless deaths and needless accidents," Coate said. Guns are simply a way of life in Southeast Alaska, Milliron and Coate said. "For every home that doesn't have a firearm it in, there are 25 that do," Coate said. Sixth grade, when students are still in awe of teachers, is the perfect setting to teach gun safety, Milliron said. "In sixth grade, we can get kids to internalize the need to practice safety around firearms," he said. "They're willing to listen to instructors and take to heart what instructors tell them." As part of their outdoors education, students take the standard state of Alaska hunter safety education course. After safety lessons, they take a "shoot-don't shoot" field course, deciding whether it would have been safe to discharge a weapon at an animal simulated by a silhouette. They also must demonstrate proficiency in firing a weapon, shooting 20 rounds from .22-caliber rifles at Juneau's indoor firing range. Taylor Daniels, 11, learned she should never direct a muzzle at another person and never shoot across a highway. She learned that keeping a rifle's action open will render it inoperative, and that the barrel wiggles far less if she's kneeling instead of standing when she shoots. Phillip Fenumiai, 12, said he felt confident he can handle a rifle. "If someone asked me, I could do the proper things and learn how to keep myself safe and make sure I'm handling it safely," he said. The program has not been adopted at the city's other middle school. "I think the administrators feeling on it was that that was something we felt families would support rather than school," said Barb Mecum, principal of Dzantik'i Heeni Middle school. But even gun control advocates don't have much reaction to programs that teach gun safety, such as the one in Juneau. "We generally don't have much of a problem with them as long as the actual firing of weapons is off campus and there's the appropriate law enforcement, professional trainers, present," said Peter Hamm, communications director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "We think it's far better that people know how to safely handle a firearm than not know," he said. Sixth grade is an appropriate age for training, as long as parents approve, he said. Besides gun safety, children took lessons on appropriate outdoor clothing, wildlife conservation, and reading a compass and a topographical map. They learned hunting ethics and meat care -- turning Bullwinkle into an entree. Milliron says the class does not try to turn the sixth graders into little hunters. If they do, it's a good, healthy activity that will last a lifetime, he said. Milliron said students love the program. "It's education that's real life. It's not, 'Why am I learning this,"' he said. "They won't remember the first time they learned to divide a polynomial, but they will remember the first time they fired a rifle and learned firearm safety," he said

November 22nd, 2006, 10:39 PM	#2
HotGuns Moderator Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Arkansas Posts: 5,883	Exellent. At least they arent instill a culture of FEAR about guns like most other schools do. __________________ AR. CHL Instr. If you are a socialist loving,left wing, limp wristed,girly man that is afraid to hear the truth and you whine about being "offended" because you arent smart enough to handle the truth, go find someone else to talk to...

November 22nd, 2006, 10:53 PM	#3
P95Carry Assistant Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: South West PA Posts: 25,407	Takes somewhere sensible like AK or VT perhaps to get things into perspective and do something sensible. What is the old adage? ''A little (or no) learning is a dangerous thing''. So many kids finish up with little or no knowledge of firearms and what they do hear is so often misinformation or crap gleaned from Hollywierd and vid games. Much better educate safely. Many may not choose to become shooters or firearms owners but heck - at least they'll be informed. __________________ Chris - P95 NRA Certified Instructor & NRA Life Member. "To own a gun and assume that you are armed is like owning a piano and assuming that you are a musician!." If a BG dies as the result of pointing a gun at me, then he has merely succumbed to an occupational hazard of being a thug

November 23rd, 2006, 04:15 AM	#4
PatrioticRick VIP Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Rigby, Idaho Posts: 3,311	We can hope this will expand to other states as well. __________________ Molon labe Μολὼν λαβέ -"Come and take them!" King Leonidas I of Sparta. USN/USAF Retired/Desert Shield/Desert Storm DAV Life Member NRA Life Member

November 23rd, 2006, 07:38 AM	#5
ELCruisr Distinguished Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Central FL Posts: 1,901	Wow, that's great! I wish more would see the light. I remember getting shot down in flames by my principle in high school in rural VT in the 70's for trying to start a shooting team. Would love to see a change like this in even basic firearms training and safety. __________________ If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good. ~ Thomas J. Watson, Jr.

November 23rd, 2006, 10:24 AM	#7
randytulsa2 Distinguished Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 1,468	Why not everywhere?

November 23rd, 2006, 04:52 PM	#8
raevan VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: washington Posts: 4,320	Way back in the 60's our high school had a rifle team and a shotgun team, very few schools do that now.

November 23rd, 2006, 08:20 PM	#9
retsupt99 VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Central Florida Posts: 15,607	Weapons Safety Training... should be part of every school curriculum... I would rather see them hand out targets to use than condoms... Congrats to Alaska...worked in the schools there for 7 years! OMO ret __________________ "That I cannot do." "Give this to, uh, Clemenza. I want reliable people, people who aren't going to be carried away. After all we're not murderers in spite of what this undertaker thinks." *********************************** NRA Life Member

November 24th, 2006, 12:37 AM	#10
srfl Senior Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: FL Posts: 6,662	Bravo...a truly progressive education program at work! __________________ USAF: Loving Our Obscene Amenities Since 1947

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