The PDGA Youth & Education program has one overarching goal: To encourage more young people to experience the joy of playing disc golf. This article highlights PDGA’s efforts to help achieve this goal. 

EDGE and Uplay 

Planting seeds in schools and communities worldwide, the PDGA supports two exceptional educational programs:  EDGE and Uplay. EDGE has been around for over two decades, while Uplay formed back in 2017, and PDGA has been a proud supporter of both for many years. These non-profit organizations are dedicated to bringing disc golf to young people around the world.

Both EDGE and Uplay offer in-service workshops to schools and communities and offer excellent curricula to Physical Education teachers. Between them, in 2024, they installed over 20 permanent courses at or adjacent to schools. They taught over 2,000 students and over 100 teachers. They gave away over 8,000 discs to young people who didn’t own one. Lastly, if you are reading this, chances are you know Jay and Des Reading from EDGE, and Zoe Andyke and Dustin Keagan from UPlay, and thus you already know that both organizations are run by awesome people.   

PDGA Scholastic Club Grant  

Nourishing the seedlings in 2024, the PDGA launched the PDGA Scholastic Club Grant. Open to active PDGA members in good standing, the $500 grant is available to elementary, middle, and high school teachers, coaches, administrators, counselors, and vetted volunteers who supervise, or wish to supervise, a school-affiliated disc golf club.

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 PDGA Youth and Education Committee reviewed all the grant submissions for 2024 and awarded 29 grants in total to deserving members and their schools. Committee members continue to follow up with grant recipients to help create sustainable disc golf clubs that teachers, parents, and children can enjoy for many years. 

Seeds Planted: First round of PDGA Scholastic Club Grants awarded

One grant recipient was Will Long #124968, a teacher at Lorenzo de Zavala Middle School in Irving, Texas. With support from the PDGA Scholastic Club Grant, donations from EDGE, and friends like James Payne, they were able to finish a 9-hole course at Lorenzo de Zavala Middle School. They hosted a sanctioned tournament benefiting the disc golf club and had 51 players compete.

“This journey has been amazing and I'm so thankful for what we've been able to accomplish. I can't wait for what's next!”

– Will. 

Clarisa Bingham #196933, a teacher at Les Bois Jr. High in Boise, Idaho quickly grew her club from 2 to 12 members. With the help of donations from parents, the community, and the school principal, the school established a check-out system at the school library. Club members can check out discs, and a nice bag to carry them.

The PDGA Scholastic Club Grant helps take the students on field trips to a local course so they can play a full round of 18 holes. They were also able to purchase minis to dye with the club members. “Trash Panda even offered BOGO!” said Clarisa. 

The PDGA Scholastic Grant is live in 2025!  Please check out the PDGA Scholastic Club grant application if you currently supervise, or wish to supervise, a school-affiliated disc golf club. 

Competition Endowment Program - Scholastic Designation 

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. There were 8 CEP-SD events in 2024.

"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?" 

Check out the Youth and Education page for more information!