Student Life
IJGA supports student athletes in their personal development through the golf and academic programs and all aspects of Student Care at the academy. IJGA is built on the solid foundations necessary to create a safe environment for students and a variety of activities for their enjoyment during their time at IJGA.
Personal Development
Peer Group
Central to our approach in Student Care is a recognition that in the later years of teenage development the main influences are within their peer group rather than the influence of adults. At IJGA we are immensely proud of our peer group, made up of a diverse group of driven international students, who make sacrifices in leaving home, in most cases show courage to studying a second language in a foreign country, and are immensely ambitious to succeed in their passion activity of golf. We cannot imagine a better peer group in any boarding institute and consider these positive influences to be at the heart of the magic of IJGA.
Student Housing
The role of the house parents who manage Student Care is to create the safe environment for this group of students to flourish, firstly by facilitating the “family” units in the various “home away from home” houses. Typically, single houses accommodate six students, with double houses therefore accommodating twelve students. Returning students are given the opportunity to select their “brothers or sisters” to share their everyday life with the joys, the frustrations and the time together. We encourage a mix of ages in each house, ranging from 9th grade to 12th grade, with the older students acting as “older brothers or sisters” to the younger students. The success of this approach is evident by the number of college students that return to visit their “IJGA siblings” during Thanksgiving, Winter and Spring breaks.
Leadership Development
As part of our Leadership Development, we give students the opportunity to join our Captains program, in which they commit to be an outstanding role model, a person of good character that inspires others. In joining this program, we see a change in their behavior, in different ways for each person, but always for the best. Leading by example is exceptionally powerful and inspires others to learn from your actions. Captains support the house parents by taking on responsibilities in their houses for safety, order and cleanliness. As the student representative group, they attend a weekly Captains meeting in which they organize the student activities, provide feedback on food to the catering team, organize inter-house sports competition and organize weekend activities in our recreational center.
Character Program
All students attend a weekly Character program, made up of presentations on character topics, guest speakers who inspire with messages on the importance of character, and perhaps most importantly, students write a monthly letter to their parents commenting on their Golf, Tournaments, Academics and Student Care.
Student Handbook / Discipline
Our policies, rules and regulations are clearly laid out in a Student Handbook which all students are required to understand at the start of each semester and sign to confirm their agreement. Designed by students, our discipline process is based on issuing Yellow cards for minor rule infractions and Red cards for major rule infractions. Students may receive one or two Yellow cards without any consequences, if they have no further breach of our rules for one or two months following the issuance of these cards. Three Yellow cards results in a Red card, with the requirement to carry out two hours of community service.
FOUNDATIONS OF STUDENT CARE
Wifi
Catering
Housekeeping
Security
Wifi
Wifi
Recognizing the importance of good internet in this age, for studying, streaming TV, enjoyment of video games and connecting with family and friends, we have exceptional internet strength and good distribution of internet within the houses.
Catering
Catering
As important as good WiFi is good food. We have an excellent catering team who serve three meals a day, seven days a week. They generally provide three different main course options for lunch and dinner, catering to the principal different ethnic groups. The catering team also prepare special meals to celebrate national holidays in many of the countries from which our students come from, always seeking input from the students, largely through the Captain Food Committee. However, all student houses have their own kitchens and dining areas, and students are encouraged to prepare meals for themselves and their friends. Additionally, students may order in food.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping
Hygiene in the houses is exceptionally important. Our housekeeping team cleans all houses once per week, changing student bedsheets and bathroom towels. Our house parents are principally responsible for working with the students on the cleanliness of the houses, ensuring no food in the bedrooms, kitchen is clean at night with dishes in the dishwasher, and food stored in fridges and cabinets is not unsafe. Students are responsible for doing their own laundry in washing machines and dryers provided in their houses.
Security
Security
All doors and windows are fitted with alarms, which are activated by house parents when they close down the houses in the evening and then disarmed first thing in the morning when students are woken up for school. We also have external cameras facing all entrances / exits to houses. In addition, Bishops Gate is a gated community, creating a safe campus, and patrolled by a security guard from 8pm to midnight.
Activities
REGULAR
The most regular weekly activities are trips to a department store, selling food, clothes and other household conveniences, on a Friday night, the Asian Market food stores over the weekend and the local food supermarket on Sunday nights. Regular trips are also made to movies, bowling, local tourist towns, favorite restaurants and coffee bars.
THEME PARKS / SHOPPING MALLS
Occasional trips are made to the local Orlando Theme Parks, more commonly Disney Springs or City Walk, as well as to the main shopping malls and outlet stores.
OUTDOOR
Occasional trips are made to the east and west coast beaches, just over an hour away, as well as to local attractions for kayaking and paddle boarding. IJGA has a boat for trips on the lake and through beautiful local canals as well as for fishing.
GOLF
Students attend various PGA, LIV, LPGA and EPSON tour events, including TPC Players Championship, Bayhill Invitational, Valspar at Innisbrook, LIV Golf in Orlando, LPGA Tampa and EPSON here in Howey in the Hills.
CEO
Student Care Team
Director of Admissions & Student Operations
Director of Education & College Placement
House Parent
Sales Team
Program Advisor, Recruitment Consultant of Latin America
Recruitment Consultant of China & Asia
Kitchen Team
