We established a non-profit a year ago to spread chess in the Alaska school system. We have been successfully getting it into the elementary schools. This summer, we would like to leverage a further step before school starts again.

The National Veteran’s Old Age Games will be held this year in Anchorage between June 5th and the 10th, and we have been asked to supervise chess competition among visiting Veterans. If it goes well this year, it will become a medaling event for Vets nationally.

There is also a national nonprofit program called the US Chess Foundation that provides free chess boards to Veterans and to Title One schools. However in order for them to do so, they require a sustainable pre-existing program. So, if we can get a few boards into the hands of Veterans and establish chess clubs, we will get more boards free from the National Foundation.

In exchange from the veterans, we would want the veterans to help us with the school programs.

Our goal this summer is to get the adults that can help us with chess programs since we have a good opportunity to train the adults. Our vice-president is a nationally ranked chess player working on his masters in education at APU. And the nonprofit Chess4Life Foundation is willing to partner with us in coaching adults with a grant through Boeing in Anchorage.

We would also like to attend the Palmer statewide Girl Scout Encampment in May/June and use the Vets boards to teach girls chess for the chess merit badges. It is a good way to branch out across the state as they return to their hometowns.

Because we are working with the Alaska School Activities Association to coordinate chess between schools with computer and internet play, it will be nice to get as many girls involved from across the state as possible. There is a free ChessKids.com that allows children to learn in entertaining lessons; play a computer; and to play other children who are also members. We want to use this as a platform for kids to star