April 07, 2016

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 diverse group of guests that observe and partake in our programs, our staff has an impeccable work ethic that leaves a lasting impression wherever they go. The staff of the Tiger Woods Learning Center is a talented group of people with a unique and innovative skill set. 

So what’s the secret behind such a remarkably professional team of individuals? The Tiger Woods Foundation believes in investing in its employees. With that investment comes a series of professional development opportunities to continuously enhance our database of knowledge, so we can continue to carry out effective and impactful programs. 

When hired to work for the learning center, I had three objectives in mind:

  1. Teach, plain and simple.
  2. Empower youth to follow their dreams and never give up. I was fortunate to have such a supportive and encouraging group of teachers in my life, so I wanted to “pay it forward” to my future students.
  3. Create POSITIVE change in the world! Which ironically, was the original motto of the Learning Center.

My past 10 years as an employee of the learning center has not consisted of professional development, but rather PERSONAL development. The Tiger Woods Learning Center has empowered me to develop and grow professionally in the following ways:

  • Enhancing my skillset by providing me with leadership opportunities that have enabled me to demonstrate how our TWLC teaching strategies can be implemented in other classroom settings, with a focus on positive youth development.
  • Empowering me to take risks and develop new curricula that incorporate the latest trends in our culture and society, with an educational twist.
  • Providing me with opportunities to collaborate among colleagues to create innovative programs that bring awareness to the areas of STEM. 

TWLC staff receive hands-on, professional development trainings

It’s an amazing feeling when you’re given an opportunity to work for an organization whose mission and vision aligns with your own passions. I have a passion and determination for leaving behind a legacy that consists of a world that believes in its youth. I believe that my motivation to accomplish this goal is strongly attributed to the fact that I have a team of people who support me and believe in me as well.

It has become apparent to me that the TWLC has a keen sense of recognizing the tools that our staff needs in order to carry out effective programs. These tools include professional development trainings, hands-on learning experiences with other organizations and insightful site visits.

All of these have opened up our perspective on ways to better serve our community. As a result, you get a facility that serves as an inspiration hub for youth to follow their dreams. With the Tiger Woods Foundation celebrating its 20th anniversary, there’s no stopping this unrelenting, undeterred and unwavering team. 

Champions of the unexpected for 20 years.