The whole world, in every classroom

Delivering a hole in one for learning — pun intended — is the upcoming Newspapers in Education golf tournament.

Set for Wednesday, Sept. 15, the golf tournament offers a chance to play the Jack Nicklaus-designed Idaho Club, with dinner by the club's renowned restaurant, and access to a silent auction.

But the best part — golfers will ensure local students in the Lake Pend Oreille and West Bonner County school districts have access to their local newspaper as part of the Newspapers in Education program.

Under the program, newspapers are provided to local classrooms as a free resource, giving students access to community, the nation and the world — and helping promote learning and literacy at the same time.

Proceeds from the golf tournament will help ensure every teacher in the local school districts has access to history — whether on the local level or the national and international stage — as it happens.

The TLDR version: You play, they benefit.

Hosted by the Bonner County Daily Bee, the cost of the tournament is $150 per golfer, $520 for a foursome, and $55 for just the dinner. There will be a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start.

The Idaho Club is the only Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course in Idaho. With the scenic Lake Pend Oreille framing the views on the one side and Schweitzer the other, the course features some of the best golf in the region.

The course has been ranked by Golf Digest as one of the top 10 courses in Idaho for the past several years, this year making the chart at No. 8 for its playability, layout and aesthetics.

Teachers said the program is a huge benefit in their classrooms.

"Using the Newspapers In Education program brings the world into the classroom," said one teacher who participates in the program. "Any teacher can use the newspaper as a textbook and teach every skill from the news.”

Teachers said they love being able to use the newspapers to educate, inform and inspire their students by providing educational and learning resources in fun and interactive ways.

"My students are presented with editorials and select news articles for real-world writing strategy analysis, editorial/persuasive writing exposure, and highlighting parts of speech for grammar reinforcement," she added. "[Reading skills] now exceed 1.6 years of growth within a 5-month period and most can identify all foundational parts of speech due to cooperative analysis of newsprint.”

To sign up for the NIE golf tournament, contact Bill Davis at the Bonner County Daily Bee. He can be reached at 208-263-9534 or by email at bdavis@bonnercountydailybee.com.