Checkmate Newsletter Spring 2016 Club Senior Project Forest Grove senior Micah helps local elementary students compete, succeed

Fern Hill Elementary, Forest Grove, one-on-one playing buddy/coach has had a chess club for several years. with those students who needed The 2015-2016 school year was their and demanded more personal and first year to be part of the Chess for individual attention. Micah’s presence Success program. and help were essential.” This year the chess club featured With Micah’s extra attention, the a very special assistant coach, Micah. skill of the students improved and Micah is a senior at Forest Grove High their games became more complicated. School, and chose to coach chess for Soon, it was more and more difficult his senior project. for him to win a game. While he was a student at Fern Hill, But Micah had a great time, “Being a Micah was one of the best players of part of this program was challenging, the chess club. interesting, and a fun experience.” Virgil Ruiz, chess club coach, taught Micah’s work extended to Micah to play chess. The club was just tournaments also. Julie Young, Chess for fun at the time; the students did for Success Executive Director, met not participate in tournaments. Micah at the Region 11 Tournament, “I Ten years later, Micah ran into Virgil was impressed that Micah volunteered at Forest Grove’s Aquatic Center, got at the tournament; his dedication to to talking, and Virgil mentioned that chess and his students is inspirational. the chess club would be competing On behalf of Chess for Success, we in tournaments. Competition and the would like to thank him for his great chance to teach kids chess gave Micah work in our program.” an idea for his senior project. Micah poses for a photo at the Region 11 Tournament, Micah will be graduating in Micah started teaching chess Feb. 20. June. He plans to pursue a degree October 2015, and soon found that he Virgil had Micah working with his in computer science first at Portland was learning from his students, not just more advanced students and said he Community College, and then transfer teaching them. “Helped tremendously by being a to the University of Oregon.

Chess For Success by the numbers 81 6X 19 73% 4,000 Elementry and The National average School districts in Of our students Grades K-12 children middle schools of girls in chess clubs 9 counties served live in poverty served Founders A word from the Executive Director

Frank and Gerda Eiseman This is our 24th youth. We held our first tournament year providing after- at Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility Phillip M. Margolin school chess clubs in Salem on President’s Day and it and tournaments was a huge success. The staff told us Richard Roy to 4,000 K-12th afterwards that several boys from rival Board of Directors grade students in gangs participated in the tournament schools where 73% and they do not talk or touch members Brian Jolly of the students live of the opposing gangs. The staff was President in poverty. I am amazed that they shook hands with Kivel & Howard LLP Julie Young happy to report that their opponents and as the tournament Charles Engelberg Chess for Success is progressed they began talking to each Treasurer growing in leaps and bounds. other! Retired CFO Last year, for the first time in our Our staff and board is also growing. Rex Wallace, CEBS history, we were invited to teach chess This school year a sixth program Secretary as an elective for credit at Faubion manager, Richard McElroy, was added Cambia Health Solutions School for sixth through eighth graders for program coverage on the west side three days a week. We also have an of the Portland metropolitan area. Our Richard Alexander Stoel Rives after-school program at Faubion. board of directors has expanded to LaShawn Lee, Faubion Principal and include 13 members, both local business Dennis Bash Chess for Success board member, wants representatives and community Independent Sponsorship the elective to be a permanent program members. We hope to grow the board Consultant in the school. Another highlight this to 15 members in the next year. Chess Brandi Cook year is our partnership with the Oregon for Success will continue to bolster our Dynamic Events, Inc. Youth Authority, the prison system for program and community outreach. Chet Edwards Please donate to Chess For Success Education Options Associates Please give and let us show you what we can accomplish together. Visit chessforsuc- Greg Hazelton NW Natural cess.org/support/give to make a tax deductible contribution. On behalf of the organi- zation and the students in our clubs, we thank you. Chris Huth US Bank Chess For Success welcomes four new board members

LaShawn Lee Chess For Success would like to welcome four new board members to our Faubion School organization: Greg Hazelton, LaShawn Lee, Chris Huth, and Jorge Moncayo. We are Phillip Margolin excited about the skills and experience they bring to Chess for Success. Author

Jorge Moncayo NW Natural

Ngoni Murandu NW Natural

Staff

Julie Young Executive Director Greg Hazelton LaShawn Lee Chris Huth Jorge Moncayo Richard Crockett Program and Operations Director Program Manager Harland Upcoming Events Kristen Fitzpatick Edwards to retire this spring Executive Assistant Chess For Success Steve Rosenfeld Harland Edwards, Nancy Albritton Chess for Success Program at Director Park Harland Edwards Manager, is re-retiring. Michael Malone Harland has been a program Richard McElroy June 16 10 a.m. - 2 p.m Program Managers manager for ten years, after retiring from teaching first July 14 10 a.m. - 2 p.m Harland grade at Margaret Scott Newsletter designed and Elementary in the Reynolds edited by Justin Buchanan. justinbuchanan.net | @justinbuchanan School district. Thank you Harland for your August 11 10 a.m. - 2 p.m work on behalf of Chess for Success! 2016 State Tourament Recap More than 450 students from 124 schools all over Oregon attended the State Tournament at the Portland Expo Center on April 8-9. Chess for Success had 130 students from our program participate in the state tournament, 30 percent of the overall participants. In the end, six teams tied for first place in the elementary division and Stoller Middle School took first in their division. Individual tournaments were also held for all ages and divisions. It was two days of great chess, and we thank everyone who participated and supported the tournament!

Left: Hannah dressed like a chess all the way from Keno, Oregon, near the California border. Photo by Kapiolani Images. Middle: Royal wizard, Josiah, from Chief Joseph/ Ockley Green School, in Portland, with the of Chess after receiving his 2nd place trophy for the 6th grade division. Photo Courtesy of Josiah’s family. Top Right: Elizabeth from John Tuck Elementary in Redmond. Bottom Right: Alexander (left) and Jayden (right) from Brookwood Elementary. Photos by Kapiolani Images Thank you to our sponsors! Queen

Rook

Bishop Chet Edwards and Lynn Tobias Hasson Company Realtors Gerda Eiseman and Madeline Nelson Marion’s Carpets Charlie and Shawn Engelberg Portland Public Schools Enterprise Providence Health and Services Ernst & Young Stoel Rives Franz Bakery US Bank Hallmark Inns and Resort Julie Young and Vlad Shulga Chess for Success 2701 NW Vaughn St, Suite 101 Portland, OR 97210

Chess for Success expands at Faubion School

You may have heard Faubion School chess gave Shamar, a foster child and is currently under construction to victim of abuse, a boost in confidence become a school housing and an opportunity to connect with his more than 500 students and Concordia’s peers. College of Education. “I would love to thank you, Mr. Chess for Success has also been Malone [Program Manager], and expanding at Faubion. your organization for reaching down For a second year, Chess was offered and taking Faubion by the hand and as an elective for credit during the propelling us to a place of hope.” school day. Faubion is a K-8 school where 40 Students in grades six through eight percent of the children are homeless, 77 have the opportunity to learn chess The Faubion School elective in action! Students pair up percent live in poverty, and 76 percent three days a week. to practice their moves. are minorities. Half the students in the elective were Stay tuned for more exciting updates in chess last year. And there is even a on Chess for Success at Faubion School waitlist! positive changes in her son, Shamar, when their new facility opens Fall 2017. The principal, LaShawn Lee, has seen a chess student at Faubion. Learning

Connect with us! 2701 NW Vaughn St, Suite 101 Portland, OR 97210 /ChessForSuccess 503-295-1230 @Chess4Success www.chessforsuccess.org