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Local nonprofit outlines free golf education and STEAM program for 120 middle-school students
Summary
At the Jan. 23 public forum, organizers announced a free golf education and life-development program for 120 Henrico middle-school students, citing plans for short-game instruction, competitions and long-term participation through high school.
At the Jan. 23 Henrico County Public Schools board meeting, Ray Beasley, who identified himself as an appointee to the Belmont Advisory Committee and the founder and president of Henrico County Hooky Kid on Golf, announced plans to start a free golf education and life-development program for middle-school students beginning Feb. 1.
"We will begin identifying and selecting 120 Henrico County middle school students to participate in a free golf education and life development program," Mr. Beasley said during the public forum. He said the program will initially target sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders at Rolfe, Fairfield and Moody middle schools and that organizers plan to select 60 girls and 60 boys.
Mr. Beasley described a short-game academy focusing on pitching, chipping and putting, plus competitions including wiffle-ball golf and Topgolf leagues. He said the design includes grade-level competitions to produce a short-game champion in sixth, seventh and eighth grades and plans to sponsor high-school golf clubs that would mentor middle-school participants.
"Our plan is students selected to attend the academy can remain in the academy until they graduate high school unless they decline acceptance or fail to maintain requirements and standards for participation," Mr. Beasley said. He named local partners and supporters, and said interested volunteers should contact him by email (address given during the presentation).
The announcement came during the public forum; no board action or funding commitment was made during the meeting. Mr. Lloyd Young, executive director of River City Dreams, spoke in support of the initiative and described his nonprofit's STEAM partnerships with community organizations and its involvement as a vendor in existing school programs.
Organizers did not present a funding request to the board during the meeting and did not provide a full budget breakdown on the record. The program's operational details — including transportation, staff supervision, site access and formal partnership agreements — were discussed in general terms but were not finalized or adopted by the board at the meeting.
