Given most adults adopt their preferred recreational activities in their youth, the future of target shooting depends on providing young people with safe opportunities to try the sport. To reach youths where they live, the Student Air Rifle Program (SAR) was created in 2014. SAR focuses on youth in grades 4 through 12 and works with state wildlife agencies to provide young people with a safe introduction to target shooting.

From late 2025 to early 2025, staff interviewed and surveyed SAR State Coordinators, SAR Instructors, states representatives in states that are not currently participating in SAR, and students. The goal was to:

1. Understand the impact of the program on students,
2. Extrapolate how many students have purchased excise-taxed gear, and
3. Identify opportunities for program growth and support

Results demonstrate a meaningful impact on student well-being and conservation funding. Read more in the reports below.