Tag: Freestate ChalleNGe Academy

Golf Tournament Drives YouthQuest’s Fundraising

News
YouthQuest presents $5,000 check to Freestate ChalleNGe Academy at 2012 charity golf tournament
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.

Click here for details and sign-up information.

The funds this tournament raises will help us expand the great programs we’ve been telling you about for the last few months, including our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) education project.

Bobby Stewart at the 2012 Challenge at Trump National
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.

To join us, e-mail  info@youthquestfoundation.org or call (703) 234-4633.

VIDEO: Congratulations to Students in Our 3D Printing Program

News
Freestate Challenge Academy Cadets 3D Printing Class awards
Cadets from YouthQuest's 3D printing project at Freestate Challenge Academy received certificates and tablet computers at an awards ceremony June 11.

Eight Freestate ChalleNGe Academy Cadets who participated in the first 3D printing class sponsored by The YouthQuest Foundation were honored at an awards ceremony on June 11.

The students in this STEM project for at-risk youth spent 30 hours learning to design and fabricate objects using Moment of Inspiration modeling software and CUBE 3D printers.

The program at Maryland’s Aberdeen Proving Ground developed problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, along with providing practical, hands-on experience that will give these teens an advantage if they choose to pursue a career in the rapidly growing field of additive manufacturing.

Seeing 3D Printing in Action Is an Eye-Opener for At-Risk Youth

News

[Show picture list]
“Your mind can go farther than you think.”

That’s the lesson Cadet Adonis Gonzales said he learned by taking part in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) project for at-risk youth sponsored by The YouthQuest Foundation.

Gonzales and seven other Maryland Freestate ChalleNGe Academy Cadets spent five months learning about the cutting-edge technology of 3D printing in classes led by YouthQuest volunteer Tom Meeks. They used Moment of Inspiration modeling software donated by Triple Squid Software Design and CUBE printers given by 3D Systems in their training at Aberdeen Proving Ground.

On June 6, the Cadets visited Northern Virginia to see how businesses use 3D printing.

The first stop was Prototype Productions, Inc. in Ashburn, where designers and engineers showed how the company creates a variety of products, including military gear and medical devices. The Cadets were especially impressed to hear CEO Joe Travez describe how he and his brother started the business in their garage two decades ago with just $500, a dream and a supportive family.

Next, the Cadets toured the 3D Systems facility in Herndon where the CUBE printers they used in class were made. They marveled at the sight of shelves filled with printers being tested at the end of the assembly line – each machine fabricating a small plastic shoe, layer by layer.

It was clear from the questions they asked during their tours that the students were making connections between what they had done in class and what the employees at PPI and 3D Systems do on the job. Besides getting a taste of 3D printing on an industrial scale, the Cadets saw the importance of creativity, collaboration and perseverance in the workplace.

According to Cadet Joshua Wilcox, the field trip “opened my eyes” to the job opportunities related to 3D printing.

Cadet Nancy Tapia-Loza had been considering a federal law enforcement career, but she said she changed her mind and now wants to explore engineering because of her experience in the 3D printing class.

During a recognition luncheon for the Cadets, YouthQuest President Lynda Mann announced that their instructor, Tom Meeks, had been chosen as the Foundation’s Volunteer of the Year.

The YouthQuest Foundation is a tax-exempt nonprofit that raises funds to provide academic and vocational development, as well as life-enriching experiences, for America’s at-risk youth.

The Freestate Academy is part of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. Its mission is to reclaim the lives of high school dropouts by giving them the education, life skills, values and self-discipline they need to become productive citizens.

VIDEO: Dropouts Gain 3D Printing Skills in YouthQuest’s Fab Lab Program

News
Freestate Challenge Academy cadets Moment of Inspiration 3D printing software YouthQuest Fab Lab.
Cadets Vela, left, and Lewter use Moment of Inspiration modeling software to design a part for a 3D printing project.

Cadets at the Freestate ChalleNGe Academy are the first to take part in our Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab) program.

The pilot project at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland introduces at-risk youth to the cutting-edge technology of additive manufacturing.

The Fab Lab program is sponsored by The YouthQuest Foundation and its strategic partners; 3D Systems, which provided the Cube 3D printers, and Triple Squid Software Design, which donated the Moment of Inspiration 3D modeling software. The class instructor is YouthQuest volunteer Tom Meeks.

1 … 4 5 6