New Organization Seeks To Expand Chess In Education

(Below is a press release announcing a new organization that seeks to greatly expand chess as an educational tool. ChessKid is eager to help in this effort. -- Ed.)

Ground-breaking International Coalition Promotes Chess in Education

An alliance of chess-training organizations has joined forces to launch the Chess in Education Initiative in the United States. The group, calling itself the CIE Coalition, was formed in response to the rapidly growing adoption of new Chess in Education (CIE) programs and methods by school systems around the world.

The CIE Coalition seeks engagement with local education and chess training service providers looking to expand their extracurricular chess training programs into the classroom by engaging with educators through the use of education-centric training programs.

This groundbreaking cooperative effort brings together organizations with international experience in teaching chess, training teachers and chess coaches, and providing online resources for educators and students. Chess in Schools, ChessKid, and ChessPlus all share a passion for helping students to become equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in and beyond the classroom.

CIE Coalition Partners

The Initiative seeks to build awareness of advances in the chess training tools and education-focused best practices that persuaded educators across Europe to bring chess into their classrooms. ChessPlus, the CIE training leader in Europe is partnering with Chess in Schools to bring these methods to the US.

Other CIE Coalition participants include ChessKid, an international best-selling vendor of licensed chess training for children. They have adapted their chess training tools to assist in the classroom as well as their traditional use in after-school club activities.

Future Growth of CIE

The Coalition expects that some established providers of traditional scholastic chess training will see CIE as a new market. An emphasis on CIE allows them to expand services from traditional after-school club chess into the use of chess by teachers as an educational tool in the classroom.

Employing teachers rather than chess experts expands demographic opportunities for chess programs outside of the major metropolitan areas where most current chess training programs are centered. An added benefit is that schools considering chess programs are likely to view CIE methods as both less expensive and more educationally effective.

Additional CIE Coalition participants are anticipated as interest in Chess in Education grows. Non-traditional chess training service providers in the US who have incorporated social and education goals into their curriculum will benefit from national recognition and a national CIE certification program. The Chess in Education Initiative seeks contact with school systems as well as local chess training service firms interested in expanding CIE use throughout the United States.

The Chess in Education Initiative

The Chess in Education Initiative is a program organized by Chess in Schools, a 501(c)(3) public charity, to promote CIE for public benefit in the United States. As part of its marketing effort, a new chessineducation.org website brings educators and the general public information about the CIE movement, its benefits, supporting research, and an international perspective on this growing educational phenomenon. This information will provide a roadmap for school systems to develop their own CIE programs. The CIE Coalition provides advice, support, and inspiration for its goal of making chess a mainstream educational tool in the US.

Contact Info

For more information, email us at [email protected] or call 1-888-400-7182 Ext. 3.

Connect through the website, chessineducation.org.