In his words: A celebration of Earl Woods
It’s been 10 years since the passing of Earl Woods. The son of a street cleaner and a maid, Woods was born into humble beginnings in Manhattan, Kansas, in 1932. Despite losing both his parents by his mid-teens, he attended Kansas State University on a baseball scholarship, knowing that education would ultimately tear down the […]
Remembering Earl: A Q&A with Tida Woods
On May 3, 2006, the world said goodbye to Earl Woods. From his death came the birth of the Earl Woods Scholarship, brought to life by Tiger and generous individuals from around the world who donated more than $1 million in Earl’s memory. With a 98 percent graduation rate, the Earl Woods Scholarship offers low-income […]
Positive Youth Development Theory: The foundation of the TWLC
“The measure of the health of a society is how well it takes care of its youngest generation. By this standard we fail,” wrote the late psychologist Dr. Peter Benson in his 1997 groundbreaking book “All Kids Are Our Kids.”
Four stars for the Tiger Woods Foundation
With 20 years in the education game, the Tiger Woods Foundation has remained steadfast in its goal of educating and guiding future generations of innovators, creators and leaders. We strive for our own professional excellence so that we may deliver opportunities to our students that allow them to rise to their full potential. We set […]
The fun and difficult process of selecting Earl Woods Scholars
These past few days have been a whirlwind of travel to the East Coast cities where the Tiger Woods Foundation selects scholars. It’s an exciting time of year for me to read the scholarship applications of deserving students and select candidates to move forward to the interview phase. It’s always a wonderful experience to meet […]
Donor Spotlight: Danny Conway
Tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Danny Conway joined the Tiger Woods Foundation’s board in 2014 and brought with him unlimited insights and guidance. With an impressive run at some of Silicon Valley’s most successful startups, including Facebook, Airtime and Snocap, Conway currently manages TechFellow Fund, an investment program to honor those who make great innovation happen. […]
Meet Leslie Lynch: Champion of the unexpected
The call of the classroom runs strong in Leslie Lynch’s blood. With her own mother only recently retiring after 30 years as a special-needs teacher, Lynch truly believes teaching is more than her vocation. It’s her calling. At the age of 30, she left behind a successful career in business to become an educator. Now, […]
The role of a mentor for the first-generation college student
Our scholars — just because they are scholars — sometimes create an extra bit of conflict with the closest people in their lives: their parents and other family members. Having experienced 40-plus years of occasional strains in family relationships because I’m a first-in-the-family college graduate and card-carrying egghead, I’m always concerned about how scholars are […]
Flashback to a groundbreaking day
Today, we flash back to a major milestone in foundation history. On April 16, 2003, Tiger and Earl joined with local Anaheim children to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Tiger Woods Learning Center. In addition to showcasing the various design elements of the Tiger Woods Learning Center, Tiger announced Target stores as the first major […]
Helping teachers orchestrate an engaging STEM classroom
Teachers are like conductors in orchestras. They strive to facilitate a perfect lesson while enabling their students to demonstrate their skills and talents within harmonious classrooms. In doing so, they continue to seek professional development opportunities that allow them to stretch their lessons from beyond the textbook. With the current Next Generation Science Standards and […]
Announcing STEM Studio: Teacher’s edition
Imagine a place where creativity and innovation are paramount; where teachers take on the role of students, delving into hands-on STEM activities. A place where inquiry-based learning leads to real-world applications; where like-minded educators gather to collaborate and take risks. This is STEM Studio: a week-long immersion in STEM education based on the award-winning educational […]
Adding passion and purpose to professional development
What do you get when you combine innovation with collaboration? You get a team of passionate individuals with one goal in mind: to empower the unexpected champions of the world! From the youth that enter the doors of the Tiger Woods Learning Center, to the teachers that participate in our professional development trainings, to the […]
Three effective components of STEM professional development
At the Tiger Woods Foundation, we believe in the importance of providing educators with effective professional development in order to be well-equipped and comfortable in delivering high-quality STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) experiences to their students. The approach we’ve found most effective is allowing them to explore content through the student’s perspective. Educators partake […]
Start making your Labor Day weekend plans; tickets on sale now
If you are from New England, the Deutsche Bank Championship is for you. Celebrate the best of New England at your annual Labor Day weekend PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoff event. The PGA TOUR’s top 100 players highlight New England’s best summer getaway experience. Spend your holiday weekend with family, friends, clients, golf buddies and the […]
People Development: Paying it forward
One of the most critical things that organizations can do to increase staff motivation, loyalty and commitment is simple — invest in their learning. Sadly, in tight budget times, this tends to be one of the first areas that is viewed as dispensable. I disagree. If we don’t invest in people, they will not invest […]
Tiger Woods Foundation to host PGA TOUR’s Hyundai-sponsored tournament in Los Angeles
The PGA TOUR announced today that the Tiger Woods Foundation will become the new host organization of the TOUR’s historic tournament at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. Tiger Woods, who grew up in the Los Angeles area and whose foundation is headquartered in nearby Irvine, California, is expanding his commitment to his native California […]
The STEM Learning Ecosystem
Since 2012, the Samueli Foundation has stood alongside the Tiger Woods Foundation as advocates for quality STEM education for all students. Gerald Solomon, the foundation’s executive director, believes the key for our future generation’s success is intrinsically tied to how we educate our students and teachers in STEM education. Solomon, who led the design and […]
Donor Appreciation: Cynthia and Thomas Coad – A Legacy of Learning
In celebration of the Tiger Woods Learning Center’s 10th anniversary, we look back at and give thanks to our community of donors, who have dedicated their resources and efforts to help us get where we are today. In a Q&A with Cynthia and Thomas Coad, two of the TWLC’s first major advocates, we shine a […]
Meet Matt Frankenbery: Champion of the unexpected
As the vice president of education at Pitsco Education, a Kansas-based company that designs innovative educational programs and solutions for schools, Matt Frankenbery works with clients all over the country to help implement curriculum designed to inspire and empower young people in their pursuit of knowledge.
A STEM Saturday for Washington, D.C., teachers
On Saturday, March 19, the Tiger Woods Foundation hosted its first-ever DC STEM Teacher’s Seminar. In conjunction with the DC STEM Fair and the DC STEM Network, the foundation hosted more than 50 teachers at its three-hour seminar. The free event offered multiple workshops aimed at bringing STEM into the classroom.