Tag: Ace Classes

FTSV 2025 ACE Classes

(FTSV 2025 ACE Classes Published: 11/7/2025) First Tee – Silicon Valley recently wrapped up another one of our four 8-week Ace classes throughout the year.

This past fall season FTSV delivered the Ace – Education Class to 24 FTSV high school participants who:

  • 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.

The class material was presented through small and large group activities. The last Ace class of the season is often a Jeopardy competition where participants work together in groups to compete against each other and test their knowledge of the class material.

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

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

Amazon Web Services will host one of the eight classes at the PGA TOUR Superstore in Cupertino. The agenda for that class will be to explore uses of technology in sports and hold a career panel with a review of internship and scholarship opportunities.

Ace Class 2025

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

In addition to the two Ace classes mentioned above, we also hold Ace – Career in the spring and Ace – Golf 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.

Register for ACE

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

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