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The South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation helped support the debut of The First Tee STEM Links Field Guide pilot program in South Carolina that took place October 2nd at Houndslake Country Club (HCC) and October 5th at The Country Club of Spartanburg (CCS). The First Tee of Aiken (TFTA) and The First Tee of Spartanburg & Cherokee Counties (TFTS&CC) are two of only six chapters across the country selected to administer the pilot program, which will be launched nationwide in spring 2016.

The program affords field trip opportunities for fourth and fifth grade students to conduct STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) experiments at partnering golf courses to learn about the rich golf course ecosystem and how golf courses sustain and conserve their environments.

Staff members from the South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation (SCJGF), South Carolina Junior Golf Association (SCJGA), The First Tee Home Office, TEQ Games (creators of the Field Guides), and Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association were on hand to make this event possible.

Upstate attorney and SCJGF Board of Trustees Chairman, Rick Vieth, has played a key role in enlisting support from both the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association and the SCJGF. The SCJGF has provided $25,000 funding for the STEM Links pilots administered by the Aiken and Spartanburg chapters. Vieth has also facilitated meetings with TEQGames, curriculum developer, and The First Tee national, who is overseeing the pilot program. “Growing the game of golf through STEM Links field trips and classroom learning has amazing potential nationwide,” said Vieth. “The South Carolina Junior Golf Foundation is excited to be the first junior golf foundation to collaborate with The First Tee and TEQGames in this endeavor.”

Two schools and nearly 100 fourth and fifth grade students participated in the two pilot programs. Teachers conducted pre-field trip and post-field trip activities with their students to introduce experiment concepts and reinforce learning.

The First Tee chapters were selected as pilot locations based on the engagement of area schools participating in The First Tee National School Program. Both The First Tee of Aiken and The First Tee of Spartanburg & Cherokee Counties were tapped for this groundbreaking pilot opportunity because of their school partnerships and strong community support.

Topics covered in the two local pilots included Agrostology, Botany, Ecology, Entomology, Hydrology and Pedology. All of these topics and more are covered in the STEM Links program and vital sciences relative to the golf course ecosystems. Students were divided into groups for each experimental session lasting about 45 minutes per topic. All instructions, supplies and equipment are provided for the students.