Erin School and Erin Hills Team Up to Help Students Learn Golf Skills with Life Lessons

Elementary school students at Erin School in the Town of Erin will be introduced to the basic skills of golf along with character and health education in their physical education program. Erin School is teaming up with neighboring Erin Hills Golf Course to implement The First Tee National School Program. It will be taught by physical educators using safe, fun lesson plans provided in the program’s curriculum. The health activities were recently added for students to learn about physical, social and emotional wellness. Nationwide, more than 8,000 schools in 1,200 school districts have introduced to The First Tee National School Program. Erin School will be the first school offering the program in Washington County. “We are very thankful for the partnership we have between Erin Hills Golf Course and Erin School,” said Tim Mueller, physical education teacher at Erin School. “The golf curriculum and equipment that Erin Hills has provided for our physical education program through The First Tee will be an incredible benefit for all of our kindergarten through fifth grade students. Our students will be introduced to the lifetime sport of golf through well designed lessons that provide fun learning experiences. The First Tee lessons also incorporate health and character education that will enhance our existing curriculum. Using this golf curriculum will help us reinforce key concepts that we teach in other physical education units such as integrity, respect, perseverance, and making healthy choices. A big thank you to Erin Hills!” “Erin Hills has long supported amateur golf, and helping to introduce golf to our neighbors is an extension of this core belief in the positive effects of golf,” said Alex Allister, Erin Hills’ Senior Accountant who connected Erin School and the First Tee of Southeast Wisconsin. Launched in 2004, The First Tee National School Program helps students develop an appreciation for the positive personal and social values associated with golf. Students engage in safe, fun lesson activities that lead to motor skill development and while gaining an introduction to a lifelong recreation and health-enhancing activity. The curriculum was developed by The First Tee along with leading experts in physical education and positive youth development. It is aligned with and meets national standards developed by the Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE). Physical educators delivering the program are formally trained and certified by The First Tee and use safe, developmentally-appropriate lesson plans and equipment in their classes. The lesson plans include The First Tee Nine Healthy Habits, which were developed in partnership with the ANNIKA Foundation and Florida Hospital for Children. According to a survey among 860 physical educators using The First Tee National School Program curriculum, 66 percent reported using The First Tee Nine Core Values—character education seamlessly delivered as part of the program—in other sports and activities they teach beyond golf. A third-party case study conducted in one Midwestern school district in 2011 further validated the program where administrators and physical educators reported finding great value in the program. For more information about The First Tee of Southeast Wisconsin and The First Tee National School Program, visit www.thefirstteesew.org. For more about Erin School, visit www.erinschool.org.