No turf, but this mini golf course is 'green' Enrichment class creates miniature putt with reused materials BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer ABERDEEN- Think twice before getting rid of recyclables; they might just be a miniature golf course in the making. On April 19, Jim Tobias' class in the Matawan Student Enrichment Program showcased their handmade miniature golf course, made completely of recyclables, at the Lloyd Road School. "People donated things like carpet and cardboard and all sorts of packing materials," Tobias said. "The students made castles out of the cardboard and sand traps out of the carpet, things like that. The creativity that went into this project is just great." The Matawan Student Enrichment Program runs on Saturday mornings at the Lloyd Road and Strathmore schools. Other courses offered include cooking, rocketry and guitar lessons, just to name a few. "We are an alternative activity for kids on Saturday mornings," said Len Brokaw, program director for the past 39 years at the Matawan Student Enrichment Program and a retired elementary school teacher. "We are completely self-sustaining and separate from the school district, but we offer the kids a chance to explore many other avenues that they may otherwise not." Tobias' mini-golf class, composed of children from second through seventh grades, focuses on promoting problem solving, creativity and brainstorming. According to Tobias, the class spent the winter making the golf course but also brainstormed ideas about marketing the event in order to raise money for a charity of their choice. The students decided to charge a dollar per person, with the proceeds going to the Jorge Pasada Fund. "We spent a class going over marketing concepts, trying to come up with ideas to promote the event in the community," Tobias said. "We designed fliers and wrote press releases, trying to find out how to get the word out about our project." For Tobias, this is a labor of love. "I love working with the kids and seeing what they come up with," Tobias explained. "I want them to learn how to balance between things that are hard and things that are frustrating. We want the children to learn how to succeed at challenges." Tobias, a Long Island, N.Y., native, has been working in the MSEP program for six years as a robotics instructor as well as a miniature golf course creator. Away from the program, Tobias has worked for 30 years on technology for people with disabilities for companies like Microsoft and Verizon. "Basically, I make the product more accessible to people who are blind or deaf," he said. "But I just love these kids, and watching them work with tools that they may never work with otherwise." Tobias said that he believes in this course and program because children today don't have as much exposure to fabricating toys through kits or building items on their own. "Kids don't get much exposure to making things anymore," he said. "The ones who are the most curious are so because they don't have access to this type of thing." The program runs for 10 Saturdays both semesters of the school year and offers all sorts of activities. Courses are $85 with additional charges depending on additional course requirements, and are open to preschool-age children through adults.