Portland Parks & Recreation is Recruiting High School Ninth-Grade Students for the EAGLE Caddie Program

Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Early Adventures in Golf for a Lifetime of Enjoyment program, better known as the EAGLE program, is now accepting applications. Students who identify as any of the following are especially encouraged to apply: Black, Indigenous, a person of color, female, non-binary, an immigrant, or a refugee.

The program, designed specifically for ninth grade Portland students, is a cooperative venture between PP&R, the Western Golf Association Evans Scholars Foundation, and public and private high schools located within the City of Portland.*

EAGLE program participants may become eligible to apply for scholarship opportunities like the Evans Scholarship, which is supported by the Western Golf Association Evans Scholars Foundation and valued at more than $100,000 over four years.

“The EAGLE program offers valuable work experience and a pathway to higher education for young Portlanders,” says Portland Vibrant Communities Commissioner Dan Ryan. “I encourage all eligible high school freshman to apply. Eighty Portland students have received full college tuition and housing through the Evans Scholarship since 1989.”

Students do not need experience with the game of golf to apply to the EAGLE program. Qualified students are paid an hourly wage as golf caddies on Portland Parks & Recreation Golf courses. EAGLE caddies receive work credit hours with mentors who monitor their progress and help guide their success. Students are expected to caddie for 40 golf rounds during each summer season.

“The EAGLE program is a wonderful way for young people from diverse backgrounds to gain professional experience, learn about golf, and to see firsthand the other wonderful opportunities available with Portland Parks & Recreation,” says PP&R Director Adena Long. “The program is a great way to expand the game of golf to the next generation.”

The deadline for EAGLE program applications is May 3, 2024. For more information on the program and to apply, please visit portland.gov/parks/sports/eagle.

To apply directly, go to the EAGLE program application form at https://bit.ly/3ljzR2x

EAGLE Program Eligibility Requirements

Only freshman 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 a week during the summer
Must have a good school attendance record
Must have achieved a ninth-grade cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25
Students’ family household income must not exceed $75,000
Participants must enroll in the three-year EAGLE program with the expectation of completing it