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Chess Corps is pleased to announce two new chess programs
in the community!
Chess
Corps is pleased to offer two new chess programs to the Greater
Boston community in 2007! On January 8, 2007, the MetroWest
YMCA and its co-sponsor Chess Corps, will offer a chess education
program to hundreds of elementary school students in Framingham
Public Schools as part of the YMCA's out-of-school time enrichment
program. The following week on January 17, 2007, the Newton
Free Library, in partnership with Chess Corps, will begin
its new monthly chess club, which will be offered free of
charge to the public!
The
purpose of these two programs is to promote the culture of
chess amongst individuals of all ages and backgrounds in the
Newton and Framingham communities and surrounding areas. These
programs are also aimed at providing a premiere chess education
environment to a large number of students, many of whom are
of low-income, living with disabilities, and English Language
Learners, who may not otherwise be afforded this type of learning
opportunity.
Newton
Free Library
The
Newton Free Library, in partnership with Chess Corps, has
created a new monthly Chess Club for chess enthusiasts in
the Newton community and neighboring areas. The Chess Club
affords library patrons of all ages the opportunity to drop
in and practice chess with Chess Corps teachers, led by International
Chess Master, Satea Husari.
This
year's Chess Club begins on January 17, 2007 from 4:00 PM
to 5:30 PM, and meets once per month. Participation in the
Chess Club is free and open to the public. While it may be
helpful to review the rules of chess before attending, this
educational program is open to chess scholars of any skill
and experience level.
The Newton Free Library is located at 330
Homer Street Newton Centre , MA 02459 .
The Library is handicapped accessible. Individuals who require
special assistance when attending programs should call (617)
796-1410 during business hours and (617) 796-1360 evenings
and weekends. To learn more about the Newton Free Library
and to view their Calendar of Events, please visit their web
site at: http://newtonfreelibrary.net/
MetroWest
YMCA
Located
in Framingham , MA , the MetroWest YMCA provides affordable
and high quality programming for its members living and working
in towns throughout MetroWest Massachusetts . The MetroWest
YMCA recently received a Massachusetts Department of Education
grant to support a rotating set of out-of-school time enrichment
programs in five elementary schools in Framingham, MA, namely
Barbieri, Dunning, Hemenway, McCarthy and Potter Road Elementary
Schools.
As
part of this out-of-school time enrichment program, the MetroWest
YMCA in partnership with Chess Corps will offer approximately
330 elementary school students, including those of low-income,
students with disabilities, and English Language Learners,
the opportunity to learn more about chess and to improve their
skill level by practicing under the guidance of expert instructors
from Chess Corps, including International Master Satea Husari.
Chess Corps is delighted to co-sponsor this chess enrichment
program with the MetroWest YMCA. The chess curriculum will
be aimed at helping these students to expand their critical
thinking and problem solving skills, enhance their academic
performance, improve their creativity, and develop social
skills as well as an overarching respect for individual differences.
The
program will meet once per week and will run from mid-January
through the end of May 2007.
Chess
Corps is thrilled about these new opportunities to further
promote the culture of chess amongst enthusiasts of all ages
in the community and would welcome the opportunity to develop
more programs of this type in future years.
____________________________________________________________
November
2006
The
Joy of Chess
By
Elizabeth Eidlitz
Metrowest
Daily News
Sunday, November 12, 2006
"Chess, like love, like music, has the power to
make people happy." If that claim of famous chessmaster
Dr. Seigbert Tarrasch sounds exaggerated, spend a Sunday afternoon
at Hebrew College , Newton Centre, where Chess Studio on the
Hill is in its fourth season. You might recognize what Tarrasch
meant when he explained, "Chess, a form of intellectual
productiveness, is one of the greatest joys of human existence."
The
creative and social environment of Studio on the Hill, co-sponsored
by Chess Corps and Hebrew College , offers competitive and
casual play, high level professional instruction, training
for tournaments, an eclectic chess library, multimedia learning
tools, guest presentations and special chess events. Tuition
(scholarships are offered) comes down to $2.75 an hour per
lesson and includes refreshments.
A
unique public non-profit, Chess Corps (www.chesscorps.org)
was founded by venture philanthropist Eric Cushing . He established
the flagship program to explore the recreational, social,
educational and therapeutic benefits of chess and to meld
a group of new and seasoned players of all ages, backgrounds
and skill levels into a community of chess scholars who challenge,
teach and support one another on a weekly basis.
Chess
teaches independence because players are forced to make crucial
decisions influenced only by their own judgment. The classic
game develops memory, concentration, logical thinking, the
capability to put yourself in another's shoes and to foresee
consequences of actions.
Beyond
good sportsmanship, "it teaches the true winner's psyche,"
Cushing said. "I asked a 7-year-old, crying because she
lost a game, 'Did you learn anything?' because if you received
a gift -- learning how to play better -- then you didn't lose.
"As
the great player Capablanca observed, 'You may learn much
more from a game you lose than from a game you win. You will
have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player.'"
According
to ancient legend, chess, reputed to be in Goethe's words,
"the touchstone of the intellect," originated when
the ruler of India asked his wise men to devise a way to teach
the children of the royal family to become better thinkers
and better generals on the battlefield.
Today,
Cushing believes that enrichment programs in schools should
include chess. "Its educational benefits have been widely
researched. Chess has been shown to raise individuals' IQ
scores, enhance academic performance in reading and mathematics
and strengthen problem solving, critical-thinking and decision-making
skills."
Chess
Corps offers innovative educational programs not only at Chess
Studio on the Hill, but also at locations such as Headquarters
in the Village, Watertown Boys and Girls Club, Lexington Montessori
School and YMCA Newton.
Cushing,
who first saw possibilities of chess when he recognized what
it did for a family member who lives with autism, has set
up rehabilitative and therapeutic Chess Corps programs at
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Veterans Administration
Hospital in West Roxbury .
At
Dana-Farber, kids ages 5 to 11, who play chess after morning
blood work, focus on managing an army. "If only for a
short time, all that matters," says Cushing, "is
what happens in those 64 squares. Flushed and empowered, they
meet the day, as they go for chemo treatment."
Cushing
envisions a veteran with Parkinson's playing chess with a
young cancer patient, exploring chess as a rehabilitative
therapy for stroke patients and blind people, supporting "research
and development of an idea that could fly."
Today,
and next Sunday, Nov. 19, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Chess Studio
on the Hill will meet at Surreal Image Cafe in the Atrium
Mall, Brookline, for ice cream, chess, and public exhibition
play by Chess Corps faculty, led by International Master Satea
Husari, Harvard Chess Club Coach.
Chess
is a universal language. While communicating recreationally
with anyone over the checkered plain of 64 dark and light
squares, you may also discover the chessboard gambits and
moves that open a wider world and shape our interactions with
it.
____________________________________________________________
July 2005
Chess Corps reaffirms its partnership with Hebrew College to develop new educational resources for chess by awarding $10,000 to establish the Chess Studio on the Hill Fund
Chess Corps is pleased to announce a grant of $10,000 to establish the Chess Studio on the Hill Fund at Hebrew College. The purpose of the fund is to support special events, chess research in education, and student scholarships in chess.
Reflecting on this program partnership between Chess Corps and Hebrew College, David Gordis, Ph.D., President of Hebrew College and cofounder of the Studio, said "Hebrew College is delighted with the partnership that has developed between the College and Chess Corps, providing for the continuing presence of the Chess Studio on the Hill at the College. The nexus of the Jewish experience and the game of chess, with its intellectual and reflective components, has been widely noted. The Chess Studio on the Hill is a venue for further exploring and articulating this nexus. We're grateful to Chess Corps for its support which makes this unique and promising initiative possible."
In praising the partnership, Chess Corps Chairman, Eric Cushing, said, “Chess Corps is delighted to partner with Hebrew College and finds this institution especially qualified to host our international effort in light of the Hebrew College’s mission to serve the community, its emphasis on multiculturalism and ethnic diversity, and its tradition of inclusion for students from all capabilities, backgrounds, and walks of life.”
The Fund will be managed on an ongoing basis and is open to all donors who may be interested in furthering chess education at the College. Donors who contribute will receive honorary listing to be published on this web site.
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