Change a Life Uganda: Change For Chess' Mission

Timmy & Judy play Chess against the Teachers as the Learners from St. Lawrence Primary School look on – Migyera, Uganda

The mission of Change For Chess is to promote and support Chess as an Educational Tool that will energize and excite young Ugandan Learners about the joys of academic excellence, stimulate critical thinking, and enhance their emotional development. Integral to this is utilizing Chess as the centerpiece in bringing together children from various social and economic sectors of society, with the aim of promoting better understanding, respect and appreciation among the various Students, Teachers and Parents involved in the Change For Chess Program. The ultimate goals of our efforts are:

(1) To help Students improve academically, gain self-confidence, foster creativity and learn a deeper respect for the game of Chess and their fellow Students.

(2) To help the Schools develop more Learners and Graduates who are thinking “Outside of the BOX”, Creative, and Productive members of society.

(3) To establish the Teaching of Chess as a recognized profession, alongside the teaching of any other academic skill such as Math, Science, Music, Art, etc…

While our major emphasis will be on serving the disadvantaged children of Uganda, we also recognize that chess is beneficial for all children, regardless of financial, racial, social or religious considerations. We further believe that there is a great social good to be achieved by having children from different components of society intermixing for chess activities, whether for instruction, tournament play, or general recreation. Change For Chess will therefore support Chess Initiatives for children from all socio-economic areas, although the majority of our efforts will be toward those with the fewest resources available to them.

Judith Teaches abou the ROOK at St. Joseph’s Primary School – Nabbingo, Uganda

Change For Chess Programs

Change For Chess teachers have taught classes to children at home here in the United States and in Uganda. Headed by our young Chess Coaches, Judith & Timmy Cusack, a pair of outstanding and tirelessly dedicated Chess Players & Teachers, we carry out our mission of helping children through a multi-pronged approach detailed below.

1. Change For Chess identifies, trains, and supports young Chess Players who in the future will become Chess Teachers, bringing the benefits of playing Chess with them into the schools, libraries, community centers and homes of the children they will be teaching. We will conduct extensive seminars to train these Chess players in teaching skills and then provide instructional materials and manuals to assist in their classroom instruction. A vital part of the long-term success of our initiative is to make teaching Chess a full-time profession, much like teaching math, science, music, art, language, or any other skill.

2. Change For Chess will identify and provide support for Schools wishing to start/create a Change for Chess Program at their School or in their community.

3. Change For Chess will organize tournaments on a regular basis for the young learners to have an opportunity to put their skills to the test, challenge other children, meet new friends, and compete for prizes.

4. Change For Chess provides Chess Sets and teaching material for the Schools to utilize in the classrooms, and also provides “Paper” Chess Sets for the children to take home so they can practice and play casual games with their friends and family members. (These are GREAT for take home projects to have Learners create their own Chess Sets!!)

Timmy, Judith, Morish and I attempt to leave Chess Class at St. Joseph’s Primary School Nabbingo, Uganda

“I, for one, believe that if you give people a thorough understanding of what confronts them and the basic causes that produce it, they’ll create their own program, and when the people create a program, you get action.”
-Malcolm X