Program areas at First Serve OKC Foundation
The competitive program was created for our students who desire to play competitive tennis but cannot afford to do so. To qualify for this program, students must have a financial need, play in competitive tournaments, attend practice 3 times per week, and complete community service. In 2023, we had 90 students in this program. This program focuses on life skills, on-court tennis instruction, and healthy snacks.
The pitts park program was established in june 2023 as our First "community hub". Pitts park is a recreation center located in northeast Oklahoma city with two tennis courts and a community center. Our programming includes on-court tennis instruction, life skill lessons, and educational tutoring. All programming is provided free of cost. In 2023, we served 83 students.
The community program is the furthest reaching in its scope. In 2023, we served 796 students at 24 Okc public schools & community sites. The program aims to teach beginner tennis in 6-week sessions and each session consists of 4 to 5 elementary schools. At the session's end, the schools come to the Okc tennis for a tennis party. We work with organizations like freedom city Okc, pitts park, positive tomorrows, & the Okc indian clinic.
Summer camp has evolved to Serve 387 students in 2023. Not only do students improve their tennis game at camp, but they also receive ample classroom time. We hire a teacher to focus on literacy skills and games for our elementary students. At the end of the week, the students will go home with a book they authored. The middle school camp focuses on stem lessons, like how to build a robot. For the high school students, we concentrate on post-high school preparation.
The First Serve club is a program that began in fall 2022. The club invites students who like tennis but also could benefit from educational tutoring and mentorship. Like the community program, each session is six weeks long, with four sessions in the school year. The program is held at the First Serve Okc community center at the Okc tennis center. This program has been particularly beneficial for our students who need to get their grades up to level. In 2023, we served 87 students.