New Scholastic Programs Launched

Scholastic Club Grant Program

In a grass-roots effort to help grow the lifetime sport of disc golf, the PDGA Youth and Education Committee has developed a new grant focusing on school clubs. The objective of the grant program is to support and incentivize members who currently supervise, or wish to supervise, a school-affiliated disc golf club.

Open to active PDGA members in good standing, the grant is available to elementary, middle, and high school teachers, coaches, administrators, and volunteers. Grant funds may be used for equipment, uniforms, baskets, travel, events, PDGA junior memberships, and other administrative support. Eligible clubs must be recognized by the school as an official club and hold regularly scheduled meetings. School volunteers must provide documentation showing how they have been officially vetted by the school district. The plan is to offer this grant to U.S. residents in 2024 and to the rest of the world in the near future. 

“We believe cultivating disc golf in schools in a sustainable way will plant the seeds for future growth,” said Dr. Justin Menickelli, PDGA Youth & Education Committee chairperson. The total grant amount is $500 and applicants may apply for a grant in successive years. Grant applications will be accepted year-round. Review of applications by the PDGA Youth & Education Committee will continue contingent on available funds.

Please check out the PDGA Youth & Education page for additional details on the Scholastic Club Grant.

Competition Endowment Program - Scholastic Designation

Alongside the new grant program, the PDGA has developed a new designation within the existing Competition Endowment Program for events that seek to raise funds for scholastic disc golf programs.

Much like the Charity designation, this allows events to modify payout requirements in order to raise funds. Events that successfully apply for and receive the CEP - Scholastic designation may set aside up to 50% of gross entry fees as a donation to a school's disc golf team or program. CEP - Scholastic events are XC-Tiers because of the modified payout requirement, but can produce ratings as long as the format is ratable.

"The partnership between schools and disc golf is a new one," said Andy Rothschild, PDGA Event Support & Training Manager and one of the architects of the new designation. "We want to help these school disc golf teams run tournaments that can serve as a fundraiser for their own programs. What better way could there be to raise money for your school's disc golf team than to run a disc golf tournament?"

You can head to the Competition Endowment Program page for more details about the new Scholastic designation, as well as the long-established Charity and Developmental designations.