First Tee Colorado Rocky Mountains is all about blending life skills, learning, and golf into unforgettable experiences for kids. Many of their 11,000 annually served students take part in summer programs and then join the “Read n Swing” program during the school year, keeping them engaged and learning all year long. During a recent site visit to Malley Drive Elementary, we saw firsthand how First Tee Colorado Rocky Mountains is driving big change with their efforts to promote literacy.
Picture this: kids gathered after school, rolling dice to break the ice with volunteers, selecting books that match their reading levels, and diving into stories with gusto. Once they’ve clocked some solid reading time, they head outside to trade pages for pitching wedges, practicing their golf grip and hitting birdie balls toward targets with all the excitement you'd expect from future golf enthusiasts. It’s like story time and golf practice had the most epic mashup, and the result is pure magic!
Thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Colorado Golf Foundation, First Tee Colorado Rocky Mountains has been able to load up on books, birdie balls, and all the supplies needed to make this program a hole-in-one. Their mission? To give kids an academic boost through reading and support their journey toward mastering golf fundamentals. With nearly 50 schools in the mix, First Tee Colorado Rocky Mountains is hitting the sweet spot for students who need a little extra reading love. And by pairing that with golf, they're bridging the achievement gap in a way that’s as fun as it is effective.
At the Colorado Golf Foundation, we’re thrilled to back First Tee Colorado Rocky Mountains’ mission and celebrate the joy they bring to learning and golfing. And we encourage you to get involved. To find out more, CLICK HERE
We can’t wait to see how many more students pick up a book, take their shot, and grow through programs like Read n Swing. Here’s to more birdies on the green and new chapters for every student!