TGR Foundation expands impact, launches Master Trainer Program
With educator professional learning programs a core initiative at TGR Foundation, the intended outcome has always been rooted in the idea of empowering educators to set up engaging, student-led learning environments in their own classrooms. While some specifics of our professional learning program, STEM Studio, have changed over the years, our approach of collaborating, celebrating and supporting educators to be their best selves for students, has emphatically continued. The TGR EDU: Create team is proud to introduce the next phase in this maturation of our professional learning, the Master Trainer Program.
10th Annual Winter Workshop unites scholars for college and career success
TGR Foundation kicks off each year with Winter Workshop, a signature event of the Earl Woods Scholar Program that unites students, mentors and friends of the foundation at the flagship TGR Learning Lab in Anaheim, CA. A reflection of the program’s growth over the last ten years, this year’s event saw record attendance Thursday, January 2 – Saturday, January 4.
Through a host of scheduled personal and professional development workshops, the program prepared underclassmen college students for success during their year ahead and celebrated with seniors that will graduate in the class of 2020 during a luncheon on Friday afternoon.
Year of Significance: How TGR excelled in 2019 and what’s in store for the new decade
Significant. That’s a word that really describes this year, for TGR Foundation and certainly for Tiger. Our work and Tiger’s success inspired members of our community, young and old, to think of new possibilities. There were many achievements that made 2019 significant.
Five tips to rise above the pressures of academia
When I was teaching there were distinct times of the year that kids exhibited high stress and anxiety as it relates to completing assignments. It was common to see students, usually in gifted programs, bogged down with the pressures of academia. We took it as a norm; school, studying and exams can be stressful. Today, however, many more students are feeling the pressures of school, which can be daunting and, for many, debilitating.
Educators have a moral duty to help the young people under their care learn to cope and thrive beyond merely achieving competency through their prescribed curriculum. There are many ways educators can motivate, reinforce and change the tide of mental health concerns among their students.
Passion Ignited: How TGR Foundation empowered Yeon Jin “Grace” Lee to pursue her passion for filmmaking
After being accepted into the University of California, Berkeley, the uncertainty Yeon Jin “Grace” Lee felt around her future at the university and in the United States dwindled as she went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in engineering. From UC Berkeley to NASA, her education opened doors to ignite her career and help her reach higher to obtain a Master of Science in software engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. It was through this experience that she gained her green card and security in her place in America.
From South Korea to Southern California, Grace overcame obstacles in her path as an undocumented immigrant and achieved great success. We recently connected at the flagship TGR Learning Lab in Anaheim, CA to reflect on her journey and how she’s using her platform and experiences to empower other students like her.
Scholar Voices: Creating social change through the lens of theatre
My love for theatre started when I was three or four years old and my godmother took me to see a musical, in my hometown of Boston, MA. I do not remember the name of the show or really what it was about, but I was fascinated by the colors and music. Something about seeing the performers act, sing and dance gave them this magical glow on the stage. My young and impressionable mind had concluded that to be so talented you had to have super abilities, and I knew I would be a part of that magic one day.
TGR Learning Lab Student Spotlight: How Mentorship Guided me through College, Career and Life
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.
Shaping Our Future with STEM: My International STEM Studio Journey
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.
TGR Learning Lab shines spotlight on Nadia Chavelas
The TGR Learning Lab expanded learning program fulfills the mission of TGR Foundation by empowering youth through exposure, preparation and skill development for the workforce of tomorrow. With more than 50 courses available for middle and high school students to engage in after school, our mission is brought to life as participants discover their passions […]
How to Build Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Classroom
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.
