Professional Chess Instructional Programs conducted in many schools
 
During the 2009/10 school year, Roving ChessNuts instructional  programs are or will be taking place in more than a 18 schools in Edmonton and region.
 
The fall season began with two classes each at New Horizons Charter School in Ardrossan, Westbrook Elementary and Ecole Grandin.  These three schools have had excellent chess enrollment this year and in  previous years.   Other schools where our chess programs have been operating for several years are York Academic, Glenora Elementary, Greenfield Elementary and Windsor Park.  Garneau School and Tempo School entered their second chess year this fall and McKernan Elementary has rejoined our programs after a year away.
 
A somewhat unique program involves students in a home-school group  receiving their regular curriculum plus chess in a lovely cabin on a large acreage in Strathcona County.
 
Londonderry Junior High is again offering our chess instructions to students in the school's top math classes and it is expected that similar to last year, other junior highs will be joining this program.  Last year through the Roving ChessNuts, chess was being taught during school time to over 80 junior high math students.
 
Several other schools, including some in St. Albert, are waiting until after the Christmas break to start their chess programs, and the Roving ChessNuts are making arrangements for several new schools, including Malmo School, to begin their first chess lessons in the near future.
 
Prior to Christmas, several new schools will be taking advantage of the return of a ChessNuts offering of Chess Exposure Workshops.  These are sessions where students get a basic understanding of chess and are able to express their interest in learning more.  After a workshop, the ChessNuts and school can work together towards a school program or if that is not possible, any keen students at the school will at least know of other opportunities to get involved in the world's oldest, most respected board game.  Chess Exposure Workshops use to be held in many rural towns and schools throughout the province such as Medicine Hat and Drumheller in the south, Rimbey and Sylvan Lake in central Alberta, and in about 10 northern Alberta locations including Jasper, Peace River and Whitecourt.
 
If you are a parent, teacher or administrator interested in getting chess into your school, please contact us.   rovingchessnuts@shaw.ca