The Cadets in our 3D ThinkLink Initiative classes have just taken a giant step toward a successful future as they completed the 22-week residential program at Freestate and Capital Guardian ChalleNGe Academies.
Eighteen young people were honored at award presentations and graduation ceremonies in Maryland and Washington, DC, last week.
Recognizing that STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education is essential in today’s workforce, the YouthQuest Foundation developed the 3D ThinkLink Initiative and teamed up with the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, which operates residential academies where dropouts get a second chance to earn a high school degree and prepare for employment or continued education.
Launched at Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy early this year and expanded to include the District of Columbia’s Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy this fall, the unique project uses 3D design and printing to teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills to students who once gave up on school.
Selected Cadets receive 25 hours of training that supplements their regular math and science curriculum. Instructors have found that students in these classes gain confidence and become more engaged in all their other courses. In addition, the Cadets discover that learning to think creatively has benefits beyond the classroom. The skills and values they develop will help them achieve their goals no matter what career path they choose.
Several Cadets from the 3D project received special recognition during their graduation ceremonies. Cadet of the Cycle awards, the highest honor a Cadet can earn, went to Gerry Rubi from Capital Guardian and Jennifer Contreras from Freestate. Capital Guardian’s Dalonta Crudup and Freestate’s Trinisia Reese were named Most Improved Cadets. Many others received scholarships for their leadership and academic achievements.
In the second phase of the ChalleNGe program, graduates return to their communities to continue their education or begin careers under the guidance of mentors who will serve as their role models, advisers and advocates for a year.
Congratulations to all the graduates!
Capital Guardian Youth ChalleNGe Academy Jose Buruca
Dalonta Crudup
Kenneth Cruz
Albert Fuller
TaShawna Richardson
Gerry Rubi
Dejah Stanley
Niema Travers
Freestate ChalleNGe Academy
Jennifer Contreras
Miguel Espinal-Herrera
Jaasiel Headly
Kameron Johnson
Sanfa Kanneh
John Mitchell
Tanae Molden
Trinisia Reese
Terrell Saddler
Christopher Shade
Statistics show the outlook for teenagers who quit school is bleak. The YouthQuest Foundation works to help dropouts break the cycle of failure and get on the path to success.
We provide academic and vocational development, infrastructure support and life-enriching activities for America’s at-risk youth.
Every 8 seconds during the school year, a public high school student drops out.*
More than 1 million teens quit school every year. In public schools, per-student spending has doubled since the 1970s, yet the dropout rate has remained around 30%. Among African-Americans and Hispanics, it is closer to 50%.
Every 32 seconds, a child is born into poverty.*
Dropouts beget dropouts and poverty feeds this cycle. The poorest teens are six times more likely to quit high school than the richest ones. Children whose parents quit school are at much greater risk than others of becoming dropouts themselves.
Every 3 minutes, a child is arrested for a drug offense. Every 7 minutes, a child is arrested for a violent crime.*
Every time a teen drops out, we all pay the price. Dropouts drain public resources because they are much more likely than high school graduates to be unemployed, need government aid, abuse alcohol and drugs and be arrested. At least two-thirds of dropouts spend time in jail. On average, dropouts earn about half as much as graduates, so they contribute less to the economy.
A 2006 study by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found that most dropouts believe they could have graduated from school under different social or economic circumstances. YouthQuest seeks to create the circumstances these teens need to succeed in a world where demand is growing for workers trained in the skilled trades.
For example, studies predict nearly 80% of future jobs will require science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) knowledge. Yet most at-risk youth find it difficult to imagine themselves in STEM-related careers due to the lack of role models in their communities, according to the California STEM Learning Network.
In response, YouthQuest has launched the 3D ThinkLink Initiative, a unique project uses 3D printing to teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills to students who once gave up on school.
Our goals are to prepare teens for entry-level jobs in the skilled trades, and to instill the life skills and work habits that will help them advance to leadership positions.
We all benefit when dropouts turn their lives around. As they become more self-reliant, these young people have less need for community services, so the burden on taxpayers is lighter. Businesses are able to innovate and grow when they can hire workers who have the latest skills required in their fields. Through mentorship, at-risk youth develop healthy relationships with respected adults in their community and industry.
YouthQuest believes it is our responsibility, individually and as a society, to see that every American child has the opportunity to reach his or her potential.
Tom Meeks talks with Freestate ChalleNGe Academy Cadets about the 3D-printed gears they designed.
The 3D printing classes YouthQuest Foundation Training Director Tom Meeks teaches are truly multi-dimensional. While his students work on understanding the science and math of additive manufacturing, they also learn lessons in life.
During one recent session, Cadets from Freestate and Capital Guardian ChalleNGe Academies were creating sets of gears when the subject suddenly shifted to Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb.
Tom told the class that Edison – who was once labeled “too stupid to learn anything” by a teacher – built about 1,000 unsuccessful prototypes before finally making a bulb that worked. When a reporter asked how it felt to fail 1,000 times, Edison replied: “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”
The story resonated with the Cadets, most of whom had failed in school and dropped out. They realized that quitting high school was a mistake and they enrolled in the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program to change their lives by resuming their education.
Step by step, YouthQuest’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative is showing at-risk teens that mistakes are opportunities to learn and improve.
Tom Meeks Moment of Inspiration software to show how to design a part to hold a gear.
Instructors at Maryland’s Freestate and Capital Guardian, serving the District of Columbia, choose promising Cadets to take part in the 3D ThinkLink Initiative, which YouthQuest sponsors to support STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education.
“It’s really important to the YouthQuest mission that we not just do 3D printing as an end in itself. It’s got to be integrated into what the students are learning,” explained Tom.
For example, the Cadets used math concepts such as ratios in designing their gears with Moment of Inspiration software. They also had to apply physics and engineering principles to make sure the parts would work together correctly after being fabricated by a Cube 3D printer.
“Is this stuff easy? No,” Tom told a class as some Cadets stumbled through the gear-building steps. “Why were you chosen? Because you can do hard things. I know you can do it!”
‘Your Failures Are Not Final’
The first assignment for these students was to create a cookie cutter. The results ranged from nearly perfect to way, way off.
Instead of the planned star-shaped outline, a couple of objects came off the printer as solid blocks of plastic. Tom playfully declared the botched cookie cutters to be “cookie mashers” and said he was glad to see them because they helped make the most important point about these classes.
Mixed bag: The first cookie cutters Cadets created.
“Your failures are not final. You can redesign it and print it again.”
It’s a message Tom repeats frequently as he encourages the Cadets to work together and solve problems through creative thinking.
“It’s really a ‘thinking class’ more than a 3D printing class,” he said.
“We want them to learn to love learning. We want them to know that when they do fail, they can analyze that failure, study that failure, and then go on to make changes that make a positive result in their lives.”
‘These 3D Classes Are Awesome’
The project is a tremendous confidence-builder for Cadets, according to Keith Hammond, Manager of Information Systems at Capital Guardian and former Placement Coordinator at Freestate.
Cadets from Freestate and Capital Guardian meet in a combined class Oct. 26.
“They’ve gone from being the kids nobody wanted in class, who got kicked out of school,” said Keith, who has been deeply involved in the classes since the pilot project at Freestate early this year. “Now they’re in the top 1 percent of their student population because they know something that 99 percent of the kids do not know. They understand 3D printing – additive manufacturing – and they’ve been successful at it. So now they carry themselves with confidence in all their other classes.”
Freestate science instructor Timmy Jackson has seen Cadets who didn’t seem interested in academics at first become more engaged, thanks to the 3D ThinkLink Initiative. He recalled one in particular who started out as “maybe a C student in science.”
“Once he came to the 3D program, he became basically like an expert. He was actually giving some hints to the instructor,” he said.
“These 3D classes are awesome for the kids,” he added. “Some of them are already talking about this as a future. They want to know how they can get involved in it once they graduate.”
Keith has heard the same praise from other instructors at Freestate and Capital Guardian.
“They say, ‘Wow, the 3D kids are really stepping up their game now,’” he beamed. “So I can challenge them more and they’re not as frustrated when they fail because they’ve understood what Tom is teaching them: Failure can lead to success. It’s just one step.”
The Next Steps
YouthQuest has invited other National Guard Youth ChalleNGe programs in the mid-Atlantic region to start classes at their Academies early next year. Next summer, select students from all the programs will be invited to the Foundation’s headquarters in Chantilly, Va., for 40 hours of immersion training in the 3D ThinkLink Lab.
The YouthQuest Foundation’s 3D ThinkLink Initiative is growing, and so is the need for resources to support this important STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education experience for at-risk youth.
Cadet Nancy Tapia-Loza was in the first 3D printing class at Freestate ChalleNGe Academy.
We are serving twice as many students this fall as we did in the pilot project at Freestate ChalleNGe Academy in the spring. 3D printing classes are being conducted at Maryland’s Freestate and the newly opened Capital Guardian ChalleNGe Academy, which serves the District of Columbia. And that’s just the beginning. We have invited four more National Guard Youth ChalleNGe programs in the mid-Atlantic region to start classes at their Academies early next year.
This means hundreds of high school dropouts who decide to turn their lives around will have the opportunity to learn about the revolutionary technology of additive manufacturing. Smaller groups at each Academy will be chosen for 25 hours of advanced training as members of 3D ThinkLink Teams. Starting next summer, select students from those teams will be invited to YouthQuest’s headquarters in Chantilly, Va., for 40 hours of immersion training in our 3D ThinkLink Fabrication Laboratory.
With your support, we are opening students’ eyes to a world of possibilities in STEM they might otherwise have never seen. Every donation, large or small, helps us assemble the pieces we need to build on the early success of our 3D ThinkLink Initiative. For example:
$30 provides a lab tool set for one student.
$100 provides one hard drive and battery for a recycled laptop computer.
$450 provides one tablet computer for a 3D ThinkLink Team graduate.
$1,600 provides one Cube 3D printer and materials.
$2,500 provides one week of 3D ThinkLink Lab immersion training, including lodging and meals, for one student.
By making the connection between technology and creativity, the 3D ThinkLink Initiative gives at-risk teens an advantage as they enter a workforce where STEM skills are in high demand. Our classes prepare students to successfully compete for a growing array of technology-related jobs that don’t require a college degree or to continue their education in one of the STEM disciplines. In addition, the program builds self-confidence and problem-solving skills that help graduates achieve their goals no matter what career path they choose.
The YouthQuest Foundation has launched a special channel on YouTube to support teachers in our 3D printing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education project.
The channel is a collection of instructional videos made by YouthQuest Training Director Tom Meeks for the teachers in the 3D printing classes we are sponsoring at the Capital Guardian and Freestate ChalleNGe Academies this fall.
As the project expands to other states next year, this video supplement to the curriculum will become even more important for keeping teachers on the same track, even if they’re hundreds of miles apart.
We’ve seen how our 3D printing classes help show at-risk teens how they can build a better future for themselves through creative thinking, teamwork and perseverance. We believe that is a valuable lesson for anyone. That’s why we’re making all YouthQuest Academy Channel videos available to the public, so teachers and students anywhere can start to explore the new world possibilities in 3D printing.
A couple of introductory videos are posted now and many more will be added soon. Stay tuned!
Tom Meeks teaches YouthQuest’s first 3D printing class at Freestate ChalleNGe Academy
The YouthQuest Foundation’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education initiative is growing to include more students and new tools in 3D printing classes.
We launched the project early this year at Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, an alternative education program for at-risk youth that is run by the National Guard at Aberdeen Proving Ground. Now we are expanding to the newly opened Capital Guardian ChalleNGe Academy, which serves young people from the District of Columbia at the Oak Hill Campus in Laurel, Md.
Next year, we plan to bring the program to students in several other states.
YouthQuest and the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program share the goal of giving high school dropouts a second chance to become productive citizens through education, self-disciple and mentoring. The 3D printing project is a unique supplement to the academy Cadets’ basic GED-preparation coursework. The class teaches at-risk teenagers valuable life lessons, along with vocational skills.
Learning the basics of 3D printing, also known as “additive manufacturing,” can give these students an advantage if they choose to pursue careers in related fields. But even more important, says YouthQuest’s Training Director Tom Meeks, is how the class teaches them to think creatively and solve problems through teamwork, experimentation and iterative improvement.
The Cadets in the Freestate and Capital Guardian programs will use Moment of Inspiration modeling software contributed by Triple Squid Software Design and Cube printers provided by 3D Systems, our Additive Manufacturing Strategic Partner. This hardware and software was a winning combination in our pilot project at Freestate.
In addition, we are introducing Cubify Sculpt, a just-released application from 3D Systems that allows users to easily modify objects as if they were made of “virtual clay” to produce more natural looking shapes. The two software programs complement each other and open up new possibilities for students and teachers.
“Moment of Inspiration will create the objects and then we’ll bring those objects into Cubify Sculpt to embellish them and give them more organic feel,” says Tom. “I think those artistic Cadets are really going to be excited about that possibility.”
“I’m really looking forward to the fact that we’re expanding to two ChalleNGe programs and then in the next step expanding to multiple ChalleNGe programs around the country,” he adds.
Tom did an outstanding job teaching the first 3D printing class at Freestate Academy, but he can’t be in two places at once. So we are producing a series of instructional videos for the teachers he’ll be working with at the academies. The videos will be available for free online so any teacher in the world can learn how to use 3D printing to develop students’ creative thinking and problem-solving skills.
Tom is confident that teachers will be excited about 3D printing, students will be “highly motivated” and YouthQuest will be “very pleased with the outcome in the lives of these Cadets.”
If you would like to make a contribution to help cover the costs of providing this life-changing opportunity for at-risk teens, just CLICK HERE or contact us at info@youthquestfoundation.org or (703) 234-4633.
“It was a grand day for America’s at-risk youth,” says YouthQuest Foundation Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann.
The 8th Annual Challenge at Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Va., on Aug. 12 was YouthQuest’s most successful fundraiser ever.
“The weather was great, the event was great, people really enjoyed themselves,” says Lynda.
After watching a trick-shot performance by the always-entertaining Brad Denton, 115 golfers headed out for a shotgun start on Trump’s challenging Championship Course.
“It was the largest field of golfers we’ve ever had and there were more new sponsors than in previous years,” says YouthQuest Secretary Bill Hall.
Fetch makes his tournament debut
One sign of the growing community support for our tournament was the presence of Fetch, the big, floppy-eared mascot for the Loudoun Hounds baseball team of the independent Atlantic League. While Fetch and his handlers from the Hounds greeted players on the 1st tee, representatives from the North American Soccer League’s Virginia Cavalry FC manned the 18th. This is the first year we’ve had the Hounds and Cavalry as tournament sponsors.
Both teams are part of VIP Sports & Entertainment, whose vice chairman is Joe Travez, a valued partner in our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education initiative. He’s the CEO of Prototype Productions, Inc. in Ashburn, which hosted a tour in June for the students in our first 3D printing class. Mr. Travez’s message to the teens from Maryland’s Freestate ChalleNGe Academy during their visit was inspirational and we hope to make PPI an integral part of our expanded STEM program.
The money raised through the golf tournament helps us provide academic and vocational development, infrastructure support and life-enriching experiences that give troubled teens the opportunity to fulfill their potential. Thanks to our supporters’ generous contributions, we will be able to reach many more students with our 3D printing project. We’ll also promote the growth of GRL-PWR, the girls’ empowerment program that came to our attention through our sponsorship of the Loudoun Youth Step Up competition.
Bill, who chairs the golf tournament committee, says what our guests learn about YouthQuest during the event makes a strong impression. He recalls one player from Hewlett-Packard telling him: “This is the kind of stuff we need to be supporting. This I can see makes a difference.”
Besides contributing to a good cause, players come back year after year because “it’s just a fun tournament,” says Lynda.
Washington Redskins alumni Mike Nelms, Roy Jefferson and Mike Bragg sign a football for Destination Cellars CEO David Keuhner and his son, Jaden.
“The celebrities are always a big hit,” adds Bill. “One guy said ‘I’m a great Redskins fan, so try to put a Redskin with me,’ which we did.”
The Washington Redskins alumni are perennial favorites. Executive Director Jerry Olsen, Charley Taylor, Jimmie Jones, Mike Nelms, Roy Jefferson, Mike Bragg and Ravin Caldwell were on this year’s tournament roster.
Adding some sports diversity to the field of golfers, we also welcomed former Major League Baseball pitcher Pete Schourek, along with retired Major League Soccer goalkeepers Mike Ammann and Mark Simpson. Both used to play for DC United and Mark is now director of soccer operations for the Cavalry.
Pete Schourek in action
We were also honored to have Fairfax City Chief Dave Rohr playing again this year, in addition to other local first responders. Representing Fairfax County Fire & Rescue were Deputy Chief Michael Reilly, retired Deputy Chief Glenn Benarick and retired firefighters Rand Gaber and Oliver Skinker.
After a sun-and-fun-filled day on the course, everyone cooled off at a reception and awards ceremony at the Trump National clubhouse.
Our Director of Training and Volunteer of the Year, Tom Meeks, demonstrated 3D printing and GRL-PWR Co-Founder Royal Phillips spoke about our partnership.
3D Systems Director of Social Impact Leanne Gluck accepted our Additive Manufacturing Strategic Partner Award. The company’s support has been essential in the development of our 3D printing project. It provided the hardware the students use and hosted a tour of the plant where the Cube 3D printers are built.
Community Partner Awards went to the NFL Players Association and Washington Redskins Chapter of NFL Alumni, Inc., along with Michael Garcia, operating partner of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar in McLean, Va., which hosted the tournament’s VIP reception on Aug. 8. Ritzert & Leyton, PC sponsored the VIP reception at Fleming’s.
Loudoun Youth CEO Jared Melvin putts on the 1st green as Lynda Mann and Roy Jefferson watch.
The Foundation also awarded grants to Luke’s Wings and Loudoun Youth’s Step Up.
Luke’s Wings is a nonprofit organization that provides flights for families to visit wounded American servicemembers who are hospitalized or in rehabilitation. YouthQuest understands that separation can be a serious risk factor for children in military families, especially in times of crisis. By bringing families together, Luke’s Wings helps reduce the risks for kids.
The Step Up contest challenges Loudoun County middle and high school students to become leaders by identifying problems in their communities and developing solutions. YouthQuest is pleased to renew its sponsorship of the competition.
The Trump National staff deserves an award, too, for their quick response to anything we needed. All of our tournament participants were treated to a first-class experience.
“We love having our event at Trump because their staff makes us look really good,” says Lynda. “They just make it happen.”
There’s just one thing that would make our signature fundraising event better, says Lynda. That is if Donald Trump’s busy schedule allows him to accept our invitation to play in the 9th Annual Challenge at Trump National on Aug. 11, 2014.
YouthQuest Co-Founder and President Lynda Mann co-hosted a recent Executive Leaders Radio program, highlighting the Foundation’s new STEM project for at-risk youth.
Lynda and program host Peter Schwartz spoke with four Northern Virginia business leaders, including YouthQuest Co-Founder and Vice President Allen Cage, about their passion for their businesses and why they believe it’s important to give back to their communities.
Allen, who is CEO of AOC Solutions, discussed YouthQuest’s focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) training for troubled teens. He also introduced Joshua Wilcox, one of students from the first 3D printing class YouthQuest sponsored at the Freestate ChalleNGe Academy in Maryland.
“I was fascinated with the technology,” said Joshua, who started exploring career opportunities in the 3D printing field after he graduated from Freestate in June. He said the class gave him valuable experience in additive manufacturing — something few job-seekers his age can tell prospective employers.
Joshua added that the Academy, which is run by the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program, helped him turn his life around after he got into trouble with drugs and gave up on school.
“I feel pretty good. I’m actually going somewhere in my life,” he said.
Allen said YouthQuest is so encouraged by the results of the STEM project at Freestate Academy that it’s planning to expand the program to other states and “grow with the technology” by acquiring more sophisticated equipment and opening a lab.
“This is the future” in design and manufacturing, Charlie White said during his radio interview.
Charlie, who owns private commercial lender BLA Financial, praised YouthQuest’s emphasis on technology
“When you’re looking at people who need to have their lives turned around, high-tech is the way to go,” he said. YouthQuest, he added, is “right there in the forefront and they’re involving these kids in it.”
“Education is the key to success in life as far as I’m concerned,” said Paul Gurman. That’s why he has supported YouthQuest for years by making donations and participating in the annual fundraising golf tournament.
Paul is a partner in the accounting firm Gurman and Co., which provides tax and audit services for the Foundation. Besides the professional connection, he has a personal interest in YouthQuest’s mission to help at-risk children.
“Everybody needs some help,” he explained. Although Paul grew up in “a solid home with a close family,” he said he’s seen plenty “kids without help.”
“That’s a shame. If I can help in any way to strengthen their opportunities, I want to.”
Making a Difference
Paul pointed to the students from the 3D printing class as examples of young people who are seizing opportunities.
“They really are committed to improving themselves,” he said. “We just need to be able to make that path a little easier and that’s what YouthQuest is doing.”
Michael Garcia at YouthQuest’s 2012 golf tournament
Restaurant owner Michael Garcia said he was drawn to YouthQuest by Lynda and Allen’s “passion to make a difference” in the lives of at-risk kids. He plays every year in the golf tournament and has hosted YouthQuest events at his restaurant, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in McLean, Va.
It was “eye-opening” to spend time with the STEM project students during an awards luncheon at Fleming’s in June, said Michael.
“I can see in them the appreciation and that somewhere in their mind they know this is their last stand.”
Michael is convinced that YouthQuest and the Freestate program are changing lives. He recalled his conversation with one of the students.
“You could see him planning his future out and a short time ago that wasn’t possible. His future was going to be… dead, sooner than later. He was going down the wrong path. But now you watch the sparkle in this guy’s eyes,” he said.
“Man, these people are making a difference!”
Giving Back Is Good Business
Supporting organizations that make a difference doesn’t just make business leaders feel good. It’s good for business.
“Problems need to have solutions,” said Michael. “So if people associate Fleming’s with helping, they’re going to want to come in and be guests.”
Paul agreed that giving back to the community helps get his business noticed by potential clients. His personal philanthropy also sets an example for his staff. However, the benefits go beyond that.
Being at the point in his professional life where he can use his success to help others gives him “a good feeling,” Paul said.
“It may not be all the monetary success in the world, but when I lay my head on my pillow at night, I can sleep and I know that I’ve done a good job.”
Tom Meeks works with Cadet Oscar Gonzales in YouthQuest’s 3D printing class at Freestate ChallenNGe Academy.
We launched our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) project to teach 3D printing because it supports The YouthQuest Foundation’s goal of providing vocational training for at-risk youth. What we didn’t realize when we started the program is that 3D printing also teaches these teens the life skills they need to succeed.
“3D printing is not an end in itself. It’s a means to an end, and that end is to grow our brains,” explains YouthQuest Volunteer of the Year Tom Meeks, who taught the class at Freestate ChalleNGe Academy.
The former junior high school teacher is passionate about 3D printing. As soon as he heard about our plan for the project, he says, he knew he wanted to be involved because it “offered a way to encourage students to be more creative — to learn about thinking.”
“When we learn how to think and we learn how to be creative and use our brains in different ways than we normally use them, then we can use that in any part of our lives,” Tom says.
“It’s not about making cheap plastic parts. That’s the first thing I tell people about 3D printing,” says Tom. “It’s about being able to come up with a vision and then realize that vision in some concrete way.”
“And the most important part of that process is learning to fail.”
Cadet Nancy Tapia-Loza assembles parts she designed and printed to make a model of a mechanical arm.
The Cadets in the STEM project were all too familiar with failure. They were at the Freestate Academy, which is part of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program, because they’d made the mistake of giving up on school. Besides the general lack of motivation that’s typical in adolescents, these kids were in trouble because of substance abuse, pregnancy and many of the other problems that are common for at-risk youth. The Academy was, as Tom puts it, “their last chance.”
Although the cadets were “extremely excited” about being chosen from among more than 100 classmates to take part in the project, says Tom, they were “afraid to fail.” They had failed often in the past – and had given up.
“In 3D printing, what they learned was it’s OK to fail as long as you see that failure as a way to make changes and go on to success. And that’s what they did over and over again,” Tom explains with a smile.
“They didn’t gripe about the failure. They looked at it, they analyzed it and then they learned how to make corrections in the design so that the next thing they printed was going to be closer to what they envisioned.”
Life-Changing Lessons
A few weeks ago, as they prepared to graduate from Freestate, the students met with Tom to talk about what they’d learned in the 3D printing class.
“Every one of them said that it changed their life in some way,” he recalls, “It changed their attitude toward life, the way they looked at life, the way they were going to go forward and meet challenges in the future. Every one of them.”
The class changed Tom’s life, too. In fact, he calls it the highlight of his career.
“It was so neat to see the changes that were happening in their lives and the enthusiasm that was happening in their lives. It was just emotionally uplifting for me in a big way,” Tom says. “So it didn’t matter how far I traveled. It didn’t matter that I was losing some money at work. What mattered was I’m a part of something really important in the lives of these kids. I expect to see big changes in their future because of this one class and all the other things that the ChalleNGe Academy does.”
At the 2012 Challenge at Trump National Golf Club, YouthQuest Foundation Co-Founders Lynda Mann and Allen Cage presented a check for $5,000 to the Freestate ChalleNGe Academy, represented by (L-R) Thunder Young, Bobby Stewart, Keith Hammond, Terry Lynn Dunmeyer, Kelvin Sandler.
The Challenge at Trump National Golf Club is The YouthQuest Foundation’s signature fundraising event. This annual tournament is vital to the success of our mission to provide life-changing opportunities for America’s at-risk youth.
We’ve held charity tournaments every year since 2006 and our goal is to make this year’s event – on August 12 at the world-class Trump National Golf Club, Washington, DC — the biggest and best one yet.
Bobby Stewart told his inspiring story at last year’s tournament.
At last year’s tournament, we presented a check for $5,000 to support the Maryland Freestate ChalleNGe Academy. Bobby Stewart, who graduated from the Academy in 2000, played in the tournament and spoke during the awards ceremony about the dramatic difference Freestate made for him as a troubled teen. Bobby had given up on high school, but the Academy run by the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program provided the structure and discipline he needed to earn his diploma and go on to success in the auto dealership business.
This year, the Freestate ChalleNGe Academy became the home of our first 3D printing project for at-risk youth.
Our supporters come back to play in the tournament year after year because they know their donations help kids who are in trouble turn their lives around. On top of that, they get to enjoy a day of fun at a club few golfers ever have the chance to experience.
The event begins with a trick shot demonstration by Golf Entertainer Brad Denton, followed by a shotgun start for the foursomes and their celebrity players. Lunch is served on the course and the day wraps up with a reception and awards ceremony.
We’re pleased that so many of our regular players have signed up already. Now we need to add some newcomers so we can double our numbers from last year and fill both of the magnificent Trump National courses in Potomac Falls, Va.
