August 24, 2014 First Green Program Gets Started at Vancouver, BC Golf Course
“It’s a different dynamic when you take them outside the classroom. We could do the same thing in the class with a bucket of water and some soil and it wouldn’t have the same effect at all,” said Gawehns. For more information on the field trip, see the First Green website. Math and More on the Golf Course Jeff Gullikson, Golf Course Superintendent and First Green co-founder, hosted 45 6th graders at Spokane Country Club in Spokane, Wash., on Monday, June 9. Assisting was Dave Phipps, Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) Field Rep and First Green Board Member. Lessons included stream flow calculations, turning water into power, irrigation, pressure and friction loss in pipes, the history of golf, golf green maintenance, and hitting balls on the range. Several of the lessons were new STEM activities. The field trip was unique in the number of topics covered. The typical field trip is 90 minutes and may cover up to three topics. The Spokane Country Club field trip was an all-day event. Another unique feature of the field trip was that none of the lessons required the use of the optional First Green Superintendent Resource kit. The optional Superintendent Resource kit is a handy way to get started with hosting a field trip. First Green sells the kits at cost. Superintendents, if a kit is not in your budget, try the Math on the Golf Course lessons. Upcoming Events
Schedule Field Trips for Fall As word about First Green spreads, especially in the Seattle-Tacoma area, we are finding that some golf courses have more demand for field trips than they can satisfy. Golf course superintendents will need to work with teachers on a first-come, first-served basis. So, teachers, before you get too busy, please reach out to your local golf course superintendent to schedule your fall field trips. Teachers and golf course superintendents - please let us know when you’ve scheduled your field trips so we can add them to our calendar and send a special package with handouts for the students – including colorful bookmarks. If you can’t find the contact information previously provided to you, let us know and we’ll put you back in touch with your golf course or your teacher. Contact us with your field trip date(s). Find a local golf course and sign up for a field trip. Thank You Thank you to those who have invited us to participate in your state Golf Course Superintendent Association of America (GCSAA) chapter meetings and programs. Did You Know?
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On May 5, students from Heidi Gawehns’ 8th grade class at Pitt River Middle School in Coquitlam, BC turned the Vancouver Golf Club (VGC) into a learning lab, thanks to host superintendent Dave Kennedy. During the three hour field trip, kids rotated through individual learning stations on soil, water and putting, finishing with a hole cutting demonstration by assistant superintendent, Pete Rodrigues, on the 18th green.