First Tee Combines Golf and Tech

The First Tee of Greater Seattle received a City of Seattle Technology Matching Fund grant to support the development of a four station computer lab and offer of a new college preparation mentoring program, video production, and goal-setting classes in new space at their Clubhouse and learning center in Beacon Hill. This computer lab has provided kids, who do not have regular computer access, opportunities for technology literacy. In addition, the program provided another avenue for meaningful mentorship amongst their coaches and participants as well as between our older participants and younger students.

The project had a number of successes during its first year.  According to First Tee staff, "The relationships built between our mentors and mentees in our College Mentoring Program were both inspiring and impactful. Many mentors and mentees alike have requested to continue the program when the next set of mentoring matches begins for the 9-month program in the fall. The addition of the computer lab put conversations about college and careers into real time. Our participants used the computer lab to research colleges, tuitions, majors and careers. With this information, they were able to create goal ladders with their mentors and make their dreams tangible. Through the mentoring program and the addition of the computer lab, our program was able to teach our curriculum in an increasingly relevant way. Through The First Tee Life Skills Curriculum, we teach participants the difference between dreams and goals, what makes a goal a good goal, and how to set goal ladders. We use their golf games as the platform for these discussions. With the computer lab, our mentors were able to more effectively show our students how their skills there are learning on the golf course can be applied to other areas of their life."

"The integration of video production into our summer classes was a great success as well. First, The First Tee has an internship program which is offered to our teenage participants, allowing them to gain leadership skills by assisting in the administration and delivery of the life skills program. Our interns were charged to take video throughout the summer seasons of the classes. From behind the camera, our interns were able to gain a new appreciation for the core values we teach like honesty, integrity, perseverance, and confidence. Through their experience behind the cameras, our interns looked at how core values are demonstrated by others and their benefit. The same project was carried out by our Junior Advisory Board. These teenage participant led the creation of First Tee videos, allowing them to engage participants in new technology, exercise their creativity while developing their own use of core values like confidence and responsibility."