LOS ANGELES-Total Golf Adventures (TGA), The Premier Junior Golf Program SM, has come a long way in just five short years with the announcement that it has been awarded a major grant by the Wilbur D. May Foundation in Los Angeles for its golf enrichment programs to be established in the Hawthorne School District.
The announcement of a $44,000 plus grant from the May Foundation was made today jointly by Joshua Jacobs, President and CEO of TGA, and Brian Rosenstein, Vice President of the Wilbur D. May Foundation.
“This grant is first step to the culmination of the TGA vision since we started in 2003. It shows that the TGA program and model can be conducted throughout any socioeconomic arena and be self sustaining while growing the game of golf. This grant will not only will benefit youngsters in low income areas and title one schools, but it showcases the scope of TGA’s work and how we are able to transition youth from school campuses to the golf course,” says Joshua Jacobs of TGA, the only national provider of at-school, after school golf enrichment programs.
“The Wilbur May Foundation and family cares greatly about the youth of our community. We are pleased to able to partner with a dedicated and caring organization like the TGA in order to help enrich the lives of inner city students through golf. Golf is a character building sport and activity that instills important values in young people that will benefit their lives for many years to come”, says Brian Rosenstein.
This unique program will run from January to December of 2009 and will take place in the ALL (Academic Lifelong Learning) After School Program in the Hawthorne School District’s elementary and middle schools. In all, over 500 students will be introduced to the game of golf at their school and be transitioned to the golf course.
“I am delighted to be able to provide Golf classes to our students. ALL is funded by the ASES After School Education and Safety State funds and some 21st Century Community Learning Centers Federal Grant money but it is not enough. This Golf Program is just the right kind of experience that will benefit our students and who knows there might be a future Tiger Woods from our district,” says Maria A. Garcia, Grant Coordinator at the Hawthorne School District.
Each of the four sessions will include five classes, meeting once a week on different days of the week. Classes 1-4 will take place on school campuses for one hour, commencing immediately upon the end of school. Class 5 will be two hours long and take place at a nearby community golf course. Each class will have 24 students and 3 TGA instructors.
TGA will also provide scholarships to 20 students at one of its Premier Junior Golf Camps SM in Los Angeles.
Total Golf Adventures (www.totalgolfadvenures.com) was founded in 2003 with a mission to provide all K-8th grade students with access to the game of golf through the first national at-school, after school Golf Enrichment Program and other transition programs. TGA has put more than 40,000 K-8th grade students through its after-school enrichment programs and golf camps. At the present time, there are 45 TGA programs in 22 states with more than 1,500 schools and 225 golf camp locations participating. There are also programs in the Orlando and Miami-Dade area.
TGA is one of the fastest-growing sports franchises and junior golf companies in the nation, as it breaks down the traditional barriers of convenience and cost that prevent 90% of children from playing the game when golf is brought to the schools.
TGA’s 5 Level Golf Enrichment Program, developed by golf professionals and education experts, teaches the fundamentals, rules and etiquette of golf, while promoting golf’s life values through its character development initiative, “Play the Fair Way with TGA.” TGA transitions students from their schools to the golf course by offering camps, tournaments, clinics and private lessons.
TGA supplies its territory owners with the tools they need to succeed while building a strong base of corporate supporters that supply a variety of services and products to TGA territories. Corporate partners with TGA include Staples, the official print solutions supplier, Nicklaus Golf Equipment, the official provider of junior golf clubs, and Garb, Inc., the official provider of apparel for participants and staff.
Total Golf Adventures is endorsed and named as the official junior golf initiative by the National High School Golf Coaches Association (NHSGCA) and the Golf Range Association of America (GRAA); is a national supporting organization of the After School Alliance and Lights on AfterSchool, and is a corporate advocate and a partner of the President’s Challenge on Physical Fitness.
Contact:
Alan Taylor (516) 835 -1151.