This email was sent on 27 March 2020 to all Regional and State Training Counselor Liaisons with a request to further distribute to their Instructors via email. At the time, NRA E&T Staff had been ordered out of the HQ building in Fairfax for about 10 days to start working from home. At the time we did not have access to the standard "eblast" official email notification system and this communication method was the best we could achieve.

As this Forum is growing in the number of users, we intend to put more and more info here as a uniform, accessible repository for update info that will not require you to plow through years of emails trying to find a training notice or policy change.

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NRA Instructors,
What you are about to read is a dramatic leap for NRA, which up until 2016, has mandated all NRA training be in-person.

Please disseminate to the fullest extent humanly possible.

In light of government mandates on shelter in place orders, virtual quarantine, and social distancing, the NRA has decided to allow – for a LIMITED TIME PERIOD – Instructors to conduct NRA Basics of Pistol Shooting Instructor Led Training, NRA Personal Protection In the Home, NRA Basics of Rifle Shooting, and as soon as the slide deck is done and posted – NRA Basics of Shotgun Shooting – in a Distance Learning method with following mandatory requirements:

1 - Both the Instructor and student(s) must have cameras and microphones enabled on their digital devices.
2 - Two way, Audio & Video communications must be maintained at all times, during the class, in order for student(s) to ask questions.
3 - The lecture must be conducted live and in-person by the Instructor using the NRA provided PowerPoint slides. Video recording/playback is prohibited.
4 - Only the approved NRA released “Distance Learning” version of the PowerPoint presentation is authorized to be used.
5 - The prohibition on live ammunition in either the Instructor or student location is still in place.
6 - At NO TIME may students handle their own firearms in their area, NO GUN HANDLING is allowed until arriving at the range.
7 - All practical exercises MUST be conducted at a range or an appropriate training facility with DIRECT in-person supervision by the instructor.
8 - Instructor demonstrations, such as Lesson I Loading, Unloading, Cocking and Decocking, must be done at the range or an appropriate training facility with direct in-person Instructor supervision.
9 - Dry-practice exercises that could be done in the classroom, especially Lesson III Benchrest and Isosceles positions MUST be done at the range or appropriate training facility with direct in-person Instructor supervision.
10 - Cleaning the student’s firearm(s) during Lesson IV must also be done at the range or an appropriate training facility with direct in-person Instructor supervision - this may NOT be done via video teleconference.

The MOU that the above text comes from is embedded in the first slide of each of the Distance Learning presentations (PPITH slide deck is unchanged). You will note that this MOU is required to be signed and filed with the rest of the student paperwork for each course. A modified Certificate of Completion is found in the last slide of the PowerPoint.

One way to accomplish this training in an orderly manner is to create one big course report for all the folks who sign-up and mark them as “attended” after they participate in the Distance Learning portion. When you are able to take the students to the range in small groups, move them to another course report after they have achieved all learning objectives and the live fire portion. Then complete that smaller course report for just the students that have completed all objectives and provide them their certificates. The students must have their basic course student guides and tests in hand during the Distance Learning lecture, and should have their tests as near complete as possible by the time you get to the range to make grading and correction as smooth an evolution as it can be.

Distance Learning is authorized for BASIC STUDENT courses only, Distance Learning for Instructor courses is strictly prohibited, and no exceptions are granted for fewer than 4 Instructor Candidates.

Instructor Training is still based on their ability to interact and manage a classroom.

Continue to abide by all orders from competent authority regarding public gatherings and social distancing. Seek guidance from a medical professional regarding disinfection procedures of firearms and equipment. We hope that these accommodation enable you to continue to provide the gold standard of training to the gun owning American public, especially all the new gun owners who have joined our ranks in these trying times.

Train safe and stay healthy!
Marty
NRA Training counselor Program Lead
[email protected]

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Distance Learning MOU for reference
 DL MOU.pdf You have insufficient rights to see the content.