My students need to participate in the 2014 NYS and National Chess Championships. As 2013 National Champions, we shocked the chess world. Help us continue!
$19,645 goal
Hooray! This project is fully funded
Hooray! This project is fully funded
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We are no one-hit wonder! Our budding chess team shocked the world last year, winning a National Championship. Every student at PS/MS 282 learns chess, 50 are selected to represent us in competition. Most come from families with limited means, and the only way they can continue is with your help!
PS/MS 282 is a dual elementary and middle school in Brooklyn, NY.
We serve students, both locally, and from across the boro, who are too often left behind. Our vision: all children, regardless of family means, deserve a great education.
Five years ago our Principal had a dream for a program that would promote in her students a stronger sense of self-confidence and uniqueness. She found a Chess Master willing to start a chess program. Some kids had never heard of chess; others were already playground legends. With the enthusiastic support of our amazing families, we built the team.
As Park Slope has gentrified, our school has remained committed to serving a socio-economically and racially diverse school community. Today, students travel long distances from comparatively disadvantaged neighborhoods to be part of our national champion team. Chess is so popular, we must hold tryouts. What began as a dream has become an incredible source of pride, a pathway to possibilities beyond pawn e4.
My Project
With your help, our entire team (and their chaperones) will be able to compete. This tournament is the proving grounds for the nation. While it might not be called the National Championship, it's no secret that New York offers the most highly competitive environment.
It would be unprecedented for the entire team to be able to travel and compete together. In the past we have only been able to send small representative sections, based upon whose families could afford to make the trip. We simply couldn't afford to send everyone. With this funding, EVERY member of our team will experience the journey, the competition, and the camaraderie of this event. It could be a life changer as they experience the joy of traveling outside local neighborhoods to represent their school against the very best.
For some, chess offers a singular opportunity to overcome the cycle of poverty; for all, chess is a chance to compete on a national stage, representing the amazing diversity that is Brooklyn.
Imagine the courage it takes to travel far away from home, from all that's familiar.
Imagine that you carry the hopes and dreams of your family, school, and community. Imagine the focus of a child who can sit, face-to-face, with an opponent, and compete for hours in a single game. Imagine the possibility that this event might open a door they might not otherwise have known existed. This is not just about chess, this is about life, and about seeing beyond the next move to brighter futures.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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