(Portland, OR) –
Portland students currently enrolled as ninth-graders are encouraged to apply for the EAGLE Caddie Program. The Early Adventures in Golf for a Lifetime of Enjoyment program is a cooperative venture between Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), the Western Golf Association Evans Scholars Foundation, and public and private high schools located within the City of Portland*.
Students who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), female/non-binary, immigrants or refugees, and youth from families earning lower incomes are encouraged to apply.
“The EAGLE caddie program offers valuable work experience and a pathway to higher education for young lower-income Portlanders,” says Portland Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio. “I applaud Portland Parks & Recreation for facilitating this fabulous program and encourage all eligible high school freshman to apply.”
Scholarship opportunities may be available to EAGLE participants. Since 1989, more than 70 students have received full tuition and housing via the Evans Scholarship. The award is supported by the Western Golf Association Evans Scholars Foundation and valued at more than $100,000 over four years. PP&R EAGLE Caddie Program participants may become eligible to apply for the scholarship. More information about the EAGLE program is available at portland.gov/parks/sports/eagle-caddie-scholarship.
Students do not need experience in the game of golf to apply as an EAGLE caddie. Qualified students are paid an hourly wage as golf caddies on Portland Parks Golf courses. EAGLE caddies receive work credit hours with mentors who monitor students’ progress and help guide their success.
The deadline for EAGLE applications is May 7, 2021. For more information on the program, please contact PP&R’s Carolyn Lee at carolyn.lee@portlandoregon.gov or 971-930-6762.
EAGLE CADDIE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:
- Only freshmen students currently enrolled in public or private high schools within the City of Portland are eligible to apply for this three-year program;
- Participants are required to work up to 20 hours during the summer;
- Must have good attendance in school;
- Must maintain a passing grade in all classes;
- Must have achieved an 8th grade cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.5;
- Must have a passing grade in all enrolled 9th grade classes (provide GPA if applicable);
- Students and their family must meet the program’s financial (low-income) criteria;
- Participants must enroll in the three-year EAGLE Caddie Program with the expectation of completing it; and
- Must submit two (2) letters of recommendation from a school counselor and/or teacher.
*Students who attend high schools that are not located within the City of Portland may contact the following golf courses about their area’s respective caddie programs: Oswego Lake Country Club, Portland Golf Club, Riverside Golf & Country Club, Royal Oak Country Club in Vancouver, Tualatin Country Club, Waverley Country Club, and Willamette Valley Country Club.