The value of the Your Move Chess after-school program, developed by Ascension and the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis, is highlighted in recent news stories by St. Louis Public Radio and Education Week.
The program, announced in September, is designed to engage students in once-a-week chess club events led by a certified instructor. Students can participate without cost to the district or their parents, which removes an obstacle many children face when participating in extracurricular activities.
Your Move Chess launched with a partnership with the Ferguson-Florissant School District in St. Louis County to bring the program to its 20 elementary and middle schools.
According to Education Week, the program began with a question from Frankie Ragone, the 10-year-old son of Nick Ragone, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Ascension.
Frankie, who plays chess competitively, asked his father if all schools in the area had chess clubs. Nick learned through the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis that while many local districts do offer chess programs, many do not.
“After-school activities are critical, critical for a child's academic success,” Nick told Education Week. “And something as strategic as chess, learning it at a young age, and having something to do after school, seemed like a great program.”
Ascension’s goal is to improve, extend and spread Your Move Chess within the St. Louis region and to other communities served by Ascension across its national footprint.
Ascension and the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis are holding a fundraiser on February 11, 2016, to support efforts to expand the program to more districts and students. Chess Grandmasters Maurice Ashley, a champion of Your Move Chess, and Fabiano Caruana will be in attendance. The event will include chess matches, lessons, musical entertainment, and an opportunity to connect with others from the community who are working toward a common goal.
For more information or to register for the event, visit www.saintlouischessclub.org/yourmovechess.
Click here to read the Education Week story, and here for the St. Louis Public Radio story.
