Stark County teen has been selected for the
First Tee Game Changers Academy in Philadelphia
Erin Strouse is one of 48 teens selected for this national event set to explore issues of race and equality, July 20-24
Canton, OH (June 10, 2021) – Erin Strouse from First Tee — Canton has been selected to attend the First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. in Philadelphia, July 20-24, 2021. Strouse is one of 48 teens from the First Tee network who has been selected for the five-day learning and empowerment academy and will participate in critical conversations around issues of identity, racism, equity, and empathy.
Erin Strouse, 16, is a rising senior at Louisville High School and has been a participant at First Tee — Canton for over 8 years. Strouse, a 4.214 student, is a Scholar-Athlete and has received her Academic Letter. During her sophomore and junior years playing with the Louisville High School golf team, she was named 1
st Team All-County. This past school year she set the school record for the average 9-hole score with a 38. Erin is also active with the French Club, Key Club and National Honor Society. For the last few years, she has volunteered at First Tee – Canton as a coach and mentor for younger participants and volunteers with the Stark County Humane Society.
“Diversity, equity and inclusion have been part of the fabric of First Tee since the beginning, and we are proud to provide an event that allows teens from across the country to go deeper on the subject,” said Greg McLaughlin, First Tee CEO. “First Tee is about empowering these young people to be game changers in their community. Congratulations to Erin Strouse for being selected from a national pool of candidates to represent First Tee —Canton at this event.”
The event will feature engaging and interactive workshops facilitated by
RISE, a national nonprofit and leader in the sports community championing social justice and working to improve race relations. The workshops will explore a multitude of topics that encourage personal growth and understanding of diversity concepts that foster positive change in the community.
The workshops will be paired with reflections led by nationally trained First Tee coaches, team building activities such as a scavenger hunt in the city of Philadelphia and a community outreach project, and keynote speakers from the sports industry including Vice-President, Community & Inclusion for the PGA TOUR Marsha Oliver.
First Tee – Greater Philadelphia will host the teens for golf outings at John F. Byrne Golf Course where they will continue to build upon their connections with other participants from around the country and hear different perspectives from their peers.
First Tee Game Changers Academy Honoring Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. is one of several national opportunities provided by First Tee headquarters designed to inspire and encourage high school students on a deeper level as they progress through the program and toward higher education opportunities. The Academy honors First Tee’s former CEO, Joe Louis Barrow, Jr., who led the organization from 2000 until his retirement in 2017.
First Tee — Canton is a youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. By seamlessly integrating the game of golf with a life skills curriculum, First Tee —Canton creates active learning experiences that build inner strength, self-confidence, and resilience that kids can carry to everything they do.
