When you think of The Genesis Invitational, hosted by Tiger Woods, you might picture the world’s best golfers, but for thousands of students in Orange County, the true impact of his legacy is opportunities provided through his education nonprofit, TGR Foundation. Through partners like Genesis, the Foundation is bridging critical education and workforce readiness gaps while transforming lives in under-resourced communities.
The tournament has a longstanding history of supporting students from under-resourced communities in Southern California and beyond. The flagship TGR Learning Lab in Anaheim was built from Tiger’s vision to empower students in the community where he grew up. Since 2006, the Learning Lab has supported more than 200,000 students on their journeys from elementary school to higher education. Our mission is to empower students to pursue their passions through education. Through our free programs and experiential learning opportunities, students are exploring their interests in a safe and inspiring environment that empowers them to unleash their potential and plan for their futures. Alongside our community, we are investing in youth and ensuring that every student, regardless of background, has the tools to succeed in a rapidly changing economy.
Opportunity for Impact
What makes our programs stand out among other education nonprofits lies not only in what we offer but how we structure our programs for maximum impact. Through our holistic approach to youth empowerment and partnerships with companies like Genesis who strategically invest time, talent and resources into students who need it most, we are positively impacting the lives of youth.
Gaps career and college readiness are not issues we can solve alone. Partnerships have been critical to our success over the last 28 years and will continue as we work toward our mission. We must work together with the business community to ensure the growing youth labor force of more than 20 million young people is prepared to fill employment gaps, boost our economy and build innovative solutions to problems affecting their communities.
According to the US Department of Labor there are significant gaps in opportunities for students from under-resourced communities, specifically among Black, Hispanic and Asian populations. At TGR Foundation, our focus is on addressing the opportunity gap by providing exposure to high-demand careers beyond leisure, hospitality and retail, which are common in the communities we serve. Through free access to innovative STEAM-based courses, modern workspaces, the latest technology, mentoring by industry professionals and a safe learning environment at the TGR Learning Lab, we provide opportunities that facilitate an excitement for learning amongst students while preparing them for post-secondary paths.
More than Money
Some might argue that corporate sponsorships are motivated by branding, but the reality is that companies like Genesis are not just writing checks; they are actively involved in shaping the future. The funds raised from The Genesis Invitational and invested by our partners are critical, and the added support through active participation in our programs leads to lasting impact.
Beyond free admission and often first-time professional golf tournament experiences for kids, The Genesis Invitational also provides career-connected learning opportunities for TGR Foundation students, further strengthening the tournament’s connection to local communities.
Last year, one of our local students, Diego, an aspiring broadcaster for the Los Angeles Dodgers, had various opportunities to learn about the industry while practicing his skills during tournament week. Diego participated in a job shadowing experience with Golf Channel correspondent Kira Dixon, interviewed Charlie Sifford Memorial Exemption Chase Johnson before his PGA TOUR debut and learned from a panel of golf media professionals, including Will Lowery, Hally Leadbetter and Matt Aylward. This is one example of exclusive experiences for local students offered through the tournament.
Through after-school programs at the TGR Learning Lab, Diego has solidified his career path while building his portfolio and gaining transferrable skills. Since the start of his participation, his dreams have transferred into an actionable plan.
“Experiences I have gained through the TGR foundation have been empowering and life changing,” said Diego. “That private experience was life changing for me… That was just amazing to be able to follow her, see how she goes about her job. Just watching her do her job, I picked up on so many things.”
Through Genesis Gives and the Genesis Inspiration Foundation, our students receive an inside look at the automotive industry through access to Genesis guest speakers, field trips, private tours and hands-on learning experiences which build transferrable skills. In 2024, students learned from Ash Corson, director of Genesis product planning, and got a private tour of the GV60 at the TGR Learning Lab before it was released for sale.
In addition to hearing from Corson and touring one of the latest vehicles by the company, students brought their creativity and skills to life while learning how to develop their own future mobility vehicles using reclaimed and upcycled materials. The activity was facilitated by Child Creativity Lab, a local nonprofit supported by Genesis, showing yet another example of the effect of collaboration.
These experiences aren’t limited to students. At TGR Foundation, we know educators are critical to scaling our reach. We invest in educators through free professional learning opportunities to help them empower their students for success, whether they teach in traditional classrooms or after-school programs. One educator who has participated in several training opportunities highlighted the importance of equipping educators with the resources to help them prepare their students for success. Genesis has also hosted several cohorts of educators at the Genesis Design Studio in Irvine, California.
“There needs to be more opportunities for teachers to be able to go out into the career field to and see some of these things in action so that we can bring them to our kids,” said Bev Berekian, a local science teacher from Orange County. “We’re battling for the best things for our kids. Those battles aren’t going to be won just by teachers in the classroom because we can’t fight them alone.”
A Call for Collaboration
While it may be convenient for companies to write a check, ongoing engagement of the community is essential to scale our impact on our local communities and the larger workforce.
As companies assess their corporate responsibility goals and plan for the future they should think beyond dollars and allocate other resources to support students in need. We need leaders to actively participate in shaping the future workforce. As we expand our programs across Southern California and beyond, new partners will be critical to provide more students in under-resourced communities with high quality exposure and experiences as they prepare for thier futures. Learn more about ways to partner with us at TGRFoundation.org/get-involved.
