Attention All 4-H Shooting Sports Instructors!
As leaders in firearm safety, national 4-H Shooting Sports leadership is committed to doing our part to reduce the misuse of firearms in violence and suicide. Following the example of NSSF’s partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 4-H is partnering with the American Foundation for Firearm Injury Reduction in Medicine (AFFIRM) and Dr. Megan Ranney at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital to develop, implement, and study a new violence prevention curriculum for youth 12 and up that can be incorporated into existing shooting programs and implemented throughout your community. This project is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; recruitment for the study is underway.
Goals of “Guardians 4 Health” (G4H) curriculum:
- Praise kids for their active role in preventing accidents by anyone handling firearms;
- Reinforce the importance of 4-H’s citizenship mandate;
- Train youth to recognize signs that someone they know is at risk for suicide, might become violent, or is at risk for being a victim of violence;
- Empower young people with a variety of skills they could safely use to reduce risk of harm (Example: seeking help from an adult);
- Break down perceived barriers to taking action. (Example: Did you know directly asking someone if s/he is suicidal DOES NOT give them the idea? It shows the person you care about them, and helps them feel less alone.)
The curriculum will be delivered over three sessions to participating clubs via an instructor using a guide we will provide. It is designed to be interactive and engaging, with youth using their phones at times to play quick games based on curriculum content. The curriculum is scheduled to launch throughout 2022; if your club participates, you receive:
- A virtual training on program content, walking you through the guide and all materials provided;
- Ongoing curriculum delivery support from program staff.
- Compensation for your & your Club’s participation.
In addition, you along with the kids and parents affiliated with your Club, will be asked to complete 3 brief research surveys over a 6-month period – the surveys are an essential part of this program, to help us evaluate and make the curriculum better. Survey compensation will be provided (up to $60 for instructors and up to $45 for youth and parents).
Only 60 clubs* will be selected from those interested to pilot this curriculum!
(NOTE: 30 clubs will be randomly assigned to complete the curriculum in the first 6 months; the other 30 will get trained in curriculum delivery after the first group has completed the study BUT will be asked to complete valuable comparison surveys BEFORE starting the curriculum. If you wish to be considered, you must enroll before random assignment occurs, to participate in whichever group you are placed. The group that goes second will not be able to begin implementing the curriculum until 2023.)
This is a great opportunity for 4-H to showcase its position at the forefront of firearm safety education, its commitment to training youth to be leaders in their communities, and the value it places on the advancement of science.
If you are interested in learning more about study participation, please contact Mary Vriniotis, Research Program Manager, to set up a meeting: mary_vriniotis@brown.edu or (857) 244-0478.
*This number is approximate, subject to study funds.
Sincerely,
Todd Kesner, Ed.D.
Director and State Leader, Montana 4-H Center for Youth Development
Chair, National 4-H Shooting Sports Committee
Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, FACEP
Director, Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health
Warren Alpert Endowed Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Brown University
Associate Dean of Strategy and Innovation, School of Public Health, Brown University
Chief Research Officer, American Foundation for Firearm Injury Reduction in Medicine