03 November 2013

'Chess in School' Is Multilevel

In my previous post on the subject, 'Chess in (the) School/Schools', I wrote, 'I'm still not sure what it means. [...] Bear with me while I try to figure it out.' Why the confusion? Because there are so many levels to the subject.

First, there are two programs that I described as 'cross-border initiatives' last year in FIDE/ECU Chess in Schools. The personalities behind each program clearly don't get along with the personalities in the other program. They are competitors.

Second, there are regional initiatives with similar sounding names, like Chess in Schools & Communities and CHESS-IN-THE-SCHOOLS. One is based in the U.K., the other in New York City. Can you tell which is which?

Third, there are local initiatives in specific schools. These programs are often the subject of local news reports and can be either classroom activities or extracurricular activities.

Finally, there are chess teachers who specialize in teaching to children. These can be people promoting the general subject 'how-to-teach-chess-to-children' or they can be people who are teaching chess in a specific school.

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The people behind the FIDE program recently issued a colorful booklet available on cis.fide.com: Chess in Schools - Our Global Future; 'Our main promotional booklet. 48 pages (+4 page cover). It gives the basics of chess in schools. The whys, wherefors, etc.'

The referenced page includes a download link to a PDF document and a copy of the table of contents. I'll take a closer look at the booklet for my next post in this series.

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