Tag: TGR Foundation

As a first-generation Mexican American, I felt intimidated and insecure about applying to college. My mom, knowing well that she could not guide us through the U.S. education system, connected my sister and I to programs that could give us the tools to achieve our academic goals. We joined the TGR Learning Lab, then known as the Tiger Woods Learning Center, in 2008.

I didn’t think much of the programs there – I was not necessarily passionate about STEM, but I was motivated to utilize the college preparation resources despite how confusing and overwhelming it all seemed at the time. It wasn’t until my last year at Savanna High School, in 2013, when I started volunteering at the Learning Lab, that I discovered the power of mentorship. Thanks to the unwavering encouragement of two long-time employees of the Learning Lab, Denisse Jover and Lea Segura, I was able to break out of my shell and gain confidence on my way to college.

International STEM Studio is an amazing initiative. I learned about it after the CEO of Soronko Academy, my boss, attended the inaugural training in 2018. She came back with a new perspective on how to teach science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) at the academy and how to organize training of the trainer sessions to enable her to share the knowledge she had gained with others, who trained in different parts of Ghana. When she asked me if I would like to take part in the next cohort of the International STEM Studio, I jumped on board with excitement. I couldn’t wait for the growth in the knowledge I knew the training session would come with. I thought about my students, and I knew this was an opportunity to provide them with better education and guide them toward achieving their goals. On July 25th I embarked on a trip to the flagship TGR Learning Lab in Anaheim, CA sponsored by the United States African Development Foundation (USADF) to participate in International STEM Studio.

This summer I had the chance to examine the role of TGR Foundation from a global perspective. It started with a speaking role at Global MindED’s annual convening in Denver, CO where we discussed how organizations reach a diverse population with their work. The latter half of the summer took me to Israel where I examined the complexity of creating a STEM-integrated workforce by better preparing educators to meet the changing world facing their students. And most recently TGR EDU: Global trained more than 50 educators from around the world to transform their teaching through a focus on inquiry and problem-based pedagogy.

I’ve been a teacher of primarily science for a long time, more than 30 years, 19 as an international educator. Currently, I am working as a science teacher in the small Balkan country of Kosovo, but I’ve also lived and taught in eastern Venezuela and southeast China near Hong Kong.

Last spring, I received an e-mail from my current director at the Quality Schools International – International School of Kosovo suggesting I apply to TGR Foundation’s International STEM Studio, a week-long professional learning program bringing educators together from around the world. It looked like a good opportunity because I am very much interested in keeping current in my own education and professional growth. When I was selected to participate, I was very excited.

TGR Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Jim Yong Kim, M.D., Ph.D., to the Board of Governors. Kim, the former 12thPresident of the World Bank Group, is currently the Vice-Chairman and Partner at Global Infrastructure Partners, a fund that invests in infrastructure projects across several sectors around the world.

“Go chopethat table—it’s open lah!” These are words I heard every day this past summer as I entered the Singaporean hawker centers in search of chicken and rice, like every other local during mealtime. Singaporeans flock to these large hawker cafeterias to fill up on delicious foods that cost about $4 a dish. These food […]

Since launching the flagship TGR Learning Lab in 2006, TGR Foundation has built a robust network of opportunities for students to learn and grow. Programs at the flagship facility in Anaheim, CA have expanded over the last two decades providing more students access to quality education and career connections.

Collaboration and partnerships are a key component of their success. With six satellite campuses across the United States, students in underrepresented communities from coast to coast benefit from high-quality education programs. Although each satellite’s programs are unique to the communities, resources and students served, the core model and curricula were tested and proven successful at the flagship learning lab.

As the newest member of TGR Foundation’s Earl Woods Scholar team, I hit the ground running this summer, taking part in one of our hallmark events, Pre-College Retreat. In July, our team welcomed 21 scholars from Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Orange County to the annual retreat in Southern California. Spanning three days, the Pre-College Retreat is an integral college-access program designed to prepare our scholars, many of whom are the first in their family to attend college, for their first year on campus.

I was accepted into Boston College on one condition; I would have to complete their summer transition program. I agreed and made my way to Boston during the summer of 2018. During the first week of the program, I experienced an incident that I have still not been able to shake, over a year later.

Each week throughout the PGA TOUR Season the MetLife MatchUp recognizes players who have overcome challenging situations on the golf course. Tiger Woods qualified during Genesis Open and advanced to the final round with a chance to earn $750K for TGR Foundation.