Tag: ACE

ACE – Career Class for FTSV High School Participants

(ACE Career Class for FTSV High School Participants) This spring season, First Tee – Silicon Valley is delivering the Ace – Career Class to 21 FTSV high school participants. The Career class is one of (4) 8-week Ace classes offered throughout the year.

In this Ace class, participants are:

  • Building their elevator pitch and develop their personal brand
  • Identifying their work & lifestyle values, ideal career characteristics, and personal identity, then using them to identify matching career industries and functions  
  • Pursuing different methods for career exploration and identification
  • Practicing informational interviews and job shadowing techniques
  • Reviewing resume-building best practices and cover letter approaches
  • Exploring and building LinkedIn profiles
  • Practicing networking techniques
  • Learning and demonstrating job interviewing strategies

We are fortunate to also have a few guest speakers give their professional and work expertise during the classes. Each week the content is delivered through group work, games and activities, and peer to peer demonstrations.

This upcoming summer we will be delivering our Ace Golf classes that covers the following:

  • Golf psychology – “the mental game” approaches
  • Optimal practice habits
  • Golf goal setting and application
  • Advanced golf techniques

The goal of our Ace classes is to bridge the life skills that we learn throughout First Tee to the next steps of their upcoming adult life. Additionally, we aim to equip our high schoolers with specific tools to succeed post high school.

All 9th graders and above may take the upcoming Ace-Golf classes. All 10th grade and above participants can take the Ace – Education class in the fall and the Ace Career in the spring. To be Ace-certified, which is the highest First Tee participant honor, participants that have been in our program for more than 2 years may also complete the supplemental Ace course work and apply for Ace-certification. Ace certification is optional and is supplemental to taking the 4 in-person classes.

We are proud of these Ace classes and would love for more FTSV participants to experience them. To register, please click here.

For more information on our four Ace classes, please click here, email [email protected], or call 408-508-4884.

Published: 04-03-2025

FTSV Ace Classes

First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) recently wrapped up one of our four 8-week Ace classes throughout the year. This past fall season FTSV delivered the Ace – Education Class to 11 FTSV high school participants. In this Ace class, participants:

  • Explored the different post high school educational opportunities;
  • Performed research on college offerings including; student life experiences, academic offerings, and campus support;
  • Reviewed specific details on the college application process;
  • Worked on effective personal statement writing techniques & approaches;
  • Explored ways to pay for college including details on grants & scholarships;
  • Engaged in budgeting techniques; and
  • Learned about saving options and loan/interest details.

This upcoming winter we will be delivering our Ace Give-Back classes that covers the following:

  • Transferable work and self-management skills, learned through volunteering;
  • Going above and beyond framework;
  • Interviewing strategies;
  • Professional correspondence;
  • Volunteer opportunity exploration; and
  • Group norms and dynamics – collaboration.

The goal of our Ace classes is to apply the life skills that we learn throughout First Tee to the next steps of their upcoming adult life. Additionally, we aim to equip our high schoolers with specific tools to succeed post high school.

All 9th graders and above (new or returning) may take the upcoming Ace-Give Back and other Ace classes. However, in order to be Ace-certified, which is the highest First Tee participant honor, participants that have been in our program for more than 3 years may also complete the supplemental Ace course work and submit an application for Ace-certification.

In addition to the two Ace classes mentioned above, we also have the Ace-Career class in the spring and the Ace-Golf class in the summer.

Any high schooler is encouraged to join our Ace classes on Fridays from 4:30pm-6pm this winter. For the Career and Education classes, any high schooler 10th grade and above may join the classes. To register, please click here.

For more information on our four Ace classes, please click here, email [email protected], or call 408-508-4884.

Published: 11-7-2024

First Tee – Silicon Valley Partners with Amazon Web Services

In April of 2024, First Tee – Silicon Valley (FTSV) began its local partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). AWS provides world-leading cloud technologies that help organizations and individuals build solutions to transform industries and communities. Recently, AWS began a nation-wide partnership with First Tee Headquarters through their contact with the PGA TOUR. Their goal is to help develop teen programming, recruit Amazon employees to volunteer with local First Tee chapters, and support First Tee Alumni.

For our chapter, we had two AWS executives volunteer their time to be guests in our spring Ace Career classes, Patrick Duffy, Senior Solutions Architect, and Umar Saeed, Senior Manager Solutions Architect. During our class we split into two groups and our Ace participants conducted informational interviews of Mr. Duffy and Mr. Saeed. Ace Career class participants learn strategies for conducting informational interviews and are expected to complete several of them on their own to gain a better understanding of what jobs and careers are out there, but also to develop their networking and professional skills.

“Thank you to Patrick and Saeed for assisting our participants and sharing their career paths and tips. Informational interviews are an important part of our Ace teens’ exploration of careers, including industries and job functions within most organizations such as HR and finance. When business professionals visit us they help participants demystify interviews and the world of work. Frankly, such experiences wipe away a lot of their fears and anxieties about work and boost their confidence. Thank you AWS!”

– FTSV President & CEO, George Maxe

This season we will be coaching our Ace Golf classes at Rancho del Pueblo Golf Course and the Ace Education (College) classes will be in the Fall. For more information on our four Ace projects please click here, email [email protected], or call 408-508-4884.

Published: 06-12-2024

ACE Career Project

First Tee – Silicon Valley is excited to share one of our four Ace Class Projects, the ACE Career Project. In the spring of each year, we offer an 8-week Career planning project for participants 10th grade and above.  Over the course of the season, our participants explore:

  • Career research into industries and job functions,
  • Transferable, content, and adaptive skills,
  • Their own interests & values, & how they map to different career clusters,
  • Informational interview strategies,
  • Job shadowing, interviewing, and networking,
  • Writing their resumes , LinkedIn profile, and cover letters, and
  • Professionalism and interview skills.

What we teach in the ACE Career Project Class

The goal of the project is to help participants dig deeper into their own interests, skills and abilities, and then provide them the tools to find a match with potential careers. We also teach them how to develop their professionalism and to network in the work place. Career exploration and preparation is a daunting task and we strive to break down the process into manageable steps.

“It’s been my good fortune to teach our Career class for many years now,” said George Maxe, FTSV President & CEO. “Our teens are usually unaware of the endless career options out there and anxious about entering the world of work. We make a special effort to help them demystify both, become more knowledgeable about careers, and build their confidence and optimism about their futures.”

What is ACE and ACE Certified?

All 10th graders and above (new or returning) can take the Ace Career and other Ace classes. However, in order to be Ace-certified, which is the highest First Tee participant honor, participants that have been in our program for more than 3 years may also complete the supplemental Ace course work and submit an application for Ace-certification.

Want to learn more?

In addition to the Career project, we have Golf, College, and Give Back projects. For more information on our four Ace projects please click here, email [email protected], or call 408-508-4884.

Published: 4-10-2024