The annual female empowerment event will be making its Ponte Vedra Beach debut
Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. – First Tee and John Deere will welcome 36 girls from across the country to the 2025 Drive Your Future Academy, a five-day leadership program created to help girls develop critical skills that will serve them in college and beyond.
Known for her many movie and television roles, First Tee Ambassador Kathryn Newton will take part in a fireside chat. As an alumna of First Tee – Miami, she brings both a personal connection to the organization and a passion for empowering the next generation. Newton and other adult mentors will also join the girls for a golf outing at The Yards.
From Nov. 6-10, female leaders from organizations like John Deere, CapTech, Accenture and Cisco will lead sessions including:
- Advocating for yourself and others
- Overcoming adverse situations
- Cultivating meaningful relationships
- Roadmap to successful mentorship
- Embracing self-awareness
The 36 teen participants will also lead a volunteer opportunity at the Salvation Army and explore historic downtown St. Augustine.
The event reinforces First Tee’s commitment to empowering girls through its programs, which are offered through 150 chapters across the country. Most First Tee Chapters provide dedicated programming for girls, intentionally inviting and engaging them in a variety of opportunities. The First Tee Drive Your Future Academy presented by John Deere is one of a full slate of teen participant events that are open to girls in the First Tee Network.
“With our commitment to providing innovative solutions to our customers, John Deere is always looking ahead, and our support of the Drive Your Future Academy is no exception,” said Bridget Dusing, sponsorship and events marketing manager at John Deere. “We are proud to support First Tee and the opportunities they provide to help prepare the next generation of leaders.”
The teens were selected for the Drive Your Future Academy through a national application process based on essays, letters of recommendation and involvement in First Tee and other activities.
“The Drive Your Future Academy represents everything we believe about the power of investing in young women — when girls develop confidence, leadership skills and meaningful connections early, they don’t just succeed in golf, they transform entire industries and communities,” said Jennifer Weiler, senior vice president of network relations at First Tee. “We’re proud to partner with John Deere to create this transformative experience that equips these 36 young leaders with the tools and network they need to break barriers and drive change in whatever field they choose.”
Since 2012, John Deere has supported First Tee, a youth development organization celebrating nearly three decades of teaching life skills and helping kids and teens build their strength of character through golf.
For more information, visit FirstTee.org.
About PGA TOUR First Tee Foundation (“First Tee”)
The mission of First Tee is to impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values through the game of golf. First Tee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth development organization that is supported by the PGA TOUR and many other organizations, foundations, companies and individuals. Over more than 27 years, First Tee has reached millions of young people through its network of 150 Chapters, 12,000 schools and 2,000 youth centers. Headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, USA, programs are delivered in all 50 United States and select international locations. The First Tee’s Honorary Chair is legendary CBS Sports commentator, Jim Nantz.