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 With a schedule of classes that includes rocket science, engineering, music recording, radio production, oceanography, veterinary medicine and forensic science, you might guess these are course offerings from a college catalog. But this is the kind of stuff the nonprofit Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim is teaching local students. And that’s why the best golfer in the world is also the best thing to happen to Orange County’s business community and its future — his learning center is producing the professionals of tomorrow. Sure, you’ll find golf instruction here. There’s a three-acre, 18-hole putting course and a 10-acre driving range. But, even there, the kids learn more than technique, like rules, etiquette and sportsmanship — important qualities in both business and sports. “All the stuff they see on TV, the stuff they relate to, they can learn about at the center,” says Woods. Think of it as a supplement to traditional education. A vitamin-charged formula that energizes kids and gets them excited about learning and their future as adults. But we’re not talking about rooms filled with desks facing a podium. Teachers aren’t lecturing at the students. This is an interactive environment, where kids get to build a miniature rocket or design a video game. “Our model is to give kids the software and then get out of their way — let them create,” Executive Director Katherine Bihr says. “It’s not a typical structured environment. If you were to come here after school or on a Saturday, there’d be a group of kids on the computer designing video games, a group of kids in the music room recording.” From the center’s five-day immersion program and 15-day workshop series to its ongoing after-school instruction and homework assistance, students have an opportunity to enhance their education and learn about careers by actually doing the types of things a real forensic investigator, for example, might do — like analyzing hair samples and extracting DNA from a fictional crime scene. The center’s high school program matches teens with working professionals in fields such as aerospace, robotics and engineering — whatever is a student’s area of interest. And a college advisor is employed full time, counseling kids on admissions and course offerings at various colleges and universities. It’s all aimed at getting youngsters to think about their career choices before they even get to college. And it’s done that for about 20,000 students so far, since the Tiger Woods Learning Center opened in February 2006. Not bad for a little less than three years of work. But Woods is a perfectionist. That’s why he is who he is. “It’s just a start,” he says. “We’re still looking for ways to improve. We need to figure out how long kids need to be there. The longer kids are there, the more their lives change for the better.” Indeed, a team of UC Irvine faculty and student researchers who monitored the first two years of the learning center’s operations found it reached “an impressive number of youth … with the majority representing low-income or underserved populations.” Attendance increased by 81 percent during those two years. The number of middle-school children attending the learning center’s programs rose by 53 percent, while the number of high school students jumped by 120 percent. Student interviews that the team conducted reflect the impact of the center’s creative approach to learning and personalized instruction. “It’s more like you’re interacting with people than just doing your homework,” an eighth-grade boy told researchers. “I’m always interacting with people and meeting new people. Our teacher makes it competitive, and he makes our group [work] to do their best.” The study also indicates the center’s been effective in meeting its goal of setting kids on a career path early in their education. Says one eighth-grader in the study: “I thought you could just go to school and then get a job, but I learned that you have to take different classes and also get, like, degrees and stuff. Now, I’m more focused on studying than playing around like I used to.” Researchers also found that students experience greater long-term benefits the longer they’re involved with the center. School work habits, performance and interest in science improved after just nine days. Continued and sustained improvement, however, was more evident when students attended 30 days or more. And most students want to keep coming back. The 35,000-square-foot center itself is a magnet, with its state-of-the-art classrooms, 90-computer clubhouse and 230-seat theater, where students can stage performances, hear lectures or watch films. The center relies on private funding to keep the programs running. And that’s where Woods’ star power really comes into play. The annual Tiger Woods Learning Center Block Party draws an A-list crowd of supporters. The headliners for this year’s event: Grammy-winning performer Seal, who dazzled the 700 guests with a concert featuring many of his greatest hits, and celebrity chef Mario Batali, who created a menu of gourmet delights. Dollars raised that night: 700,000. But, as Woods says, there’s still much work to be done. “What we’re doing here in Orange County is our blueprint for what we’re going to do in the East Coast and around the world. So far, we’ve only helped 20,000 kids.” Tina Borgatta is editor of Southland Golf’s sister publication, OC METRO. |
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