On Monday, June 17, 2019, the Albemarle County Rotary Club presented the Kids Swing Golf Tournament, an annual fundraising event benefiting youth across the community. The tournament took place at Glenmore Country Club, featuring youth and adult golfers playing in teams. Funds raised will provide college scholarships for local students, as well as new virtual reality tools for youth at C4K to learn and apply emerging technology skills.
“We are honored to be the beneficiaries of this event,” says Kala Somerville, Executive Director of C4K. “Our youth have demonstrated a strong affinity for Virtual Reality design. Rotary’s investment in our VR capabilities will allow our students more opportunities to learn hands-on, project-based applications, plus experience, design, and collaboratively develop VR applications.”
The VR industry is growing at a fast pace, with the market size of VR hardware and software expected to increase from 2.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2017 to more than 19 billion U.S. dollars by 2020. As the industry grows, more companies are considering entering the market. That, in turn, will create more jobs and require a skilled community of software engineers, VR developers, project managers, designers, and more.
New and expanded VR-quality hardware and software will allow C4K mentors and youth to design, develop, and collaborate on a broad variety of VR projects, preparing a future workforce for Charlottesville’s growing tech industry. Every year, C4K serves local youth in grades 6 – 12. Among C4K members, 100% are eligible for reduced price lunch at school, 93% are youth of color, and 25% were born outside the US. All programs are provided to youth year-round, free of charge. C4K is open to youth after school and all day during the summer.
According to event co-organizer, Mary Anne Grant, at the Albemarle County Rotary Club: “We love how C4K leverages mentoring and technology to be a catalyst for youth to challenge themselves, become engaged in their own learning, and realize greater possibilities academically, professionally, and for their community.”
About Albemarle County Rotary Club: With a motto of “Service Above Self,” Rotary is an organization of business, and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encouraging high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. We also look to have fun while doing this work for the community. Tournament proceeds will also benefit the Albemarle County Rotary Club Foundation Scholarship Fund. Click here to learn more.