The Children’s Course and First Tee of Greater Portland Make Big Strides

The Children’s Course and First Tee of Greater Portland Make Big Strides

by | Jan 4, 2020 | Events, Features, News

Gladstone, OR. The Children’s Course golf program is growing and offering more opportunities for at-risk kids. Construction is underway on a new learning center which will expand after-school mentoring services to underprivileged kids who love golf. The Executive Director of the nonprofit, Marti Loeb, says over the past three years the course has experienced 33% growth in the number of rounds played and last year alone 6,200 were played. The course offers a variety of options for kids to play golf and is particularly focused on bringing the game of golf to underprivileged, at-risk, low to moderate-income and special needs youth.

In addition to open play for kids, the Children’s Course offers six specialized programs including a Girls Golf Program which offers opportunities for girls to be introduced to the game and explore an interest in a setting that promotes positive and comfortable learning with other girls. That program is sponsored by the LPGA-USGA.

The Children’s Course is located between the Clackamas and Willamette Rivers in Gladstone. It originally opened for play as Rivergreens Golf Course in 1961 as an 18-hole, par 3 course. In 1989, following the development of apartments on the perimeter, the course was redesigned into a 9-hole, par 3 course. Then in 1996 Children’s Course founder, Duncan Campbell, launched the program hoping to use golf to provide positive youth development.

The Children’s Course eventually partnered with the national organization, The First Tee and has embraced its Core Values: to impact the lives of kids ages 4-18 by providing learning facilities and educational programs. The game of golf helps to instill integrity and make people of rich character.

The mentor program was designed to provide leadership and role models for kids who may not have ready access to personal guidance. Mentors believe, “The program produces tangible results—participants get help in applying to colleges and technical schools. The game of golf affords a holistic learning experience that teaches interpersonal skills, sportsmanship, etiquette, self-control, mental discipline as well as physical skills. Students learn to be responsible and develop a sense of judgment as they evaluate actions and their consequences.”

The Children’s Course also offers adaptive exposure clinics to participants of area school districts with varying degrees of mental use cognitive or intellectual disabilities.

From The Children’s Course:

The Children’s Course is a non-profit and is funded by private donations from foundations, corporations, and individuals. The golf course is home to the First Tee of Greater Portland, which provides young people with character-building and life skills lessons using golf as the platform.

We are focused on the personal growth of each child who enters the program. We are there to help each child recognize their potential. We help develop positive, contributing members to our community.

Join us for our annual gala! Here’s the information:

16th Annual Wine & Golf Ball Gala Wednesday, April 15th Hilton Portland Downtown – 921 SW 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97204 Benefiting: The Children’s Course/The First Tee of Greater Portland 19825 River Rd. Gladstone, OR 97027 Tax id: 93-1212530

For more information: https://www.childrenscourse.org/
Friends of the Children Opens Rockwood Youth Service and Community Center

Friends of the Children Opens Rockwood Youth Service and Community Center

by | Jan 30, 2016 | Events, Features, Uncategorized

Portland, January 21st, 2016. Trail Blazer Al Farouq Aminu hit the hardwood to celebrate the grand opening of the Friends of the Children 8,500 square foot youth service and community center. It’s a place that can make a difference. Officials say neighbors in the Rockwood region of East Multnomah County have to battle violence and crime. Many struggle to cope with the chronic stress that results from being poor and disadvantaged. Friends of the Children directly addresses such social problems through its successful mentorship program that focuses on changing the lives of the most vulnerable children in our communities.

Trailblazer Al Farouq Aminu shared his vision with Friends of Children Founder Duncan Campbell

Trailblazer Al Farouq Aminu shared his vision with Friends of Children Founder Duncan Campbell.

The center also has places for kids to learn and Marie Marshall was lending a hand in the science lab.

The center also has places for kids to learn and Marie Marshall was lending a hand in the science lab.

The needs are great for youth and community services in this region. According to a 2014 Multnomah County report, Rockwood is top among a handful of metro area neighborhoods that face issues such as low-income, high unemployment, low voter registration, higher teen pregnancy and gang violence.

“For too many children in our community, their zip code determines their opportunity to succeed in life,” explains Megan Lewis, Friends’ executive director. “Sixty percent of the youth in our programs come from homes where at least one parent did not complete high school and 50 percent have a parent who struggles with substance abuse. While we have already been making an investment in East County – more than tripling our presence since 2010 – this facility will continue that momentum and allow mentors to spend more high-quality time with the young people in our programs.”

The new facility will provide a broad scope of opportunities for program youth, including a teaching kitchen where children can learn the essentials of healthy cooking, a full-size gymnasium that will promote the value of physical activity and computer and video rooms – featuring a green screen – to encourage the young people to explore and create in a digital environment.

The new facility will provide a broad scope of opportunities for program youth, including a teaching kitchen where children can learn the essentials of healthy cooking, a full-size gymnasium that will promote the value of physical activity and computer and video rooms – featuring a green screen – to encourage the young people to explore and create in a digital environment.

All these features, combined with the direct one-on-one relationships between the mentors and youth, will allow Friends of the Children to continue to have a positive impact whose outcomes include: 83 percent of its youth graduate from high school, 93 percent avoid the justice system and 98 percent avoid early pregnancy.

From Friends of the Children:

Friends of the Children–Portland is the founding chapter of a nationwide organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of generational poverty through salaried, professional mentoring. Founded in Portland in 1993, it selects the area’s highest risk children and commits to working with those children from kindergarten through graduation. Currently, Friends–Portland serves 425 youth in 120 schools across Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties in Oregon, and Clark County in Washington.