It's not just raising and releasing fish in a hatchery that gets students out of the classroom in Onalaska.
For several years, students from Onalaska High School have had the opportunity to step beyond the classroom to gain a hands-on education in firearm safety through the Firearms Academy of Seattle (FAS) in Onalaska.
The partnership between the local high school and the training academy started in 2021 when Kevin Hoffman, a teacher at Onalaska High School and SkillsUSA adviser, noticed a need for more education in firearm safety for students. Now, more than 100 students have taken part in the class, engaging in an immersive learning experience that emphasizes the importance of safety and responsibility around firearms.
The class begins with a lecture-style classroom experience, learning about the different laws regarding firearms in the state of Washington. Discussing Washington’s gun laws at FAS is standard practice, but for the Onalaska students, they also learn how those laws affect them as minors, according to FAS Director Belle McCormack.
The students then move to the academy’s outdoor tactical training range. The course is run by McCormack, but students receive one-on-one instruction from certified FAS instructors. Each student is guided through an exercise while practicing the fundamentals of firearm handling, safety protocols, and range etiquette.
Some students, like Faith Hammer, even find a way to come back for a second class. When Hammer quickly excelled during her second time participating in the class, she was allowed to try the exercises with her left hand, creating a fun challenge for her to try while practicing gun safety.
Students began with two hands on the gun, but once they were deemed ready, McCormack taught students the technique behind one-handed shooting, requiring much more trigger discipline.
At the end of the class, students had one final exercise, or rather a challenge, to complete. Each student had five seconds at the blow of a whistle to shoot five shots as accurately as they could on the target. McCormack emphasized that when she blew the final whistle at five seconds, students were expected to stop shooting, or they would not be invited back.
When the whistle blew, the students’ skills that they had spent hours working on were on full display. When the final whistle blew to stop shooting, each student had completed their five shots. Students eagerly grabbed their target sheets to compare results.
At the end of the class, each student received a certificate for completing the Onalaska Youth Firearms Safety and Fundamentals training course.
“My hope is that someday this isn’t such a rarity in our schools. These kids take on the responsibility just fine, and I’m sure many others would as well,” said McCormack in a Facebook post about the most recent class with Onalaska’s students. “Kudos to the Onalaska School District for giving them the chance to prove they are up for the challenge. We hope the lessons on concentration and control stick with them and help in other areas as well.”
To learn more about FAS and the classes that they offer, visit their website at https://firearmsacademy.com/.
