Givers Gain Grant Provides Chess Sets, Coaching to Virginia Beach Students
Hampton Roads Chess Association in Virginia Beach, VA is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the life benefits of chess to people of all ages and abilities. They work closely with area schools, and other local organizations, to provide chess equipment and instruction to students throughout the region. Now, Hampton Roads Chess Association is also a Givers Gain Grant recipient.
“We are so grateful for your support in being able to impact children who could not otherwise afford chess programming,” said Executive Director, Tina Schweiss, “These children will learn focus, impulse control, decision-making, planning and organizing, calculation, pattern recognition, time management, and so much more through chess.”
The bulk of the grant was used to hire chess coaches to provide instruction to students at two elementary schools, Seatack Elementary in Virginia Beach and Lindenwood Elementary in Norfolk, VA. Hampton Roads has partnered with Connect With a Wish – a Virginia non-profit that serves children in foster care – and a portion of the grant funds were used to provide the children with chess classes, clubs and tournaments to participate in as well as personal, portable chess sets. Finally, any remaining funds supplemented the Joan H. Schlich Memorial Scholarship Fund which covers individual, need-based scholarships. “We have a scholarship fund with which we strive to turn no child away for inability to pay. The fees they would normally pay for tuition, training accounts, etc. are covered by the scholarship in whole or in part,” said Schweiss.
The Hampton Roads Chess Association has done great work introducing and promoting the game of chess to children and adults, all the while working with a network of other non-profits and chess focused organizations to maximize their impact and reach. We at the BNI Foundation are proud to support this worthwhile organization.