LINC chess camp accepting applications
A metro area summer camp serving a select group of children in grades K-12 is accepting applications for its sixth annual chess camp. It will take place July 9-19 at the Genesis School, 3800 E. 44th St. in Kansas City, Mo. There’s no fee for youngsters to attend the Local Investment Commission’s (LINC) Chess Camp, but parents must pre-register online (http://kclinc.org/chess/) by July 9.
Space is limited to 30 young chess players. Camp activities will begin at 8 a.m. each weekday and end at 12 p.m. Campers will learn more about the game of chess and compete with other players.
The 10-day experience gives participants the opportunity to practice their skills and improve their chess game.
“This camp is for kids who already know how to play chess,” says Ken Lingelbach, LINC chess coordinator. “We’ll help them advance.”
Occurring at the same time and location as chess camp is another program of the LINC chess initiative -- Chess University. The six-year-old program is designed for adults who want to learn the LINC way of teaching chess. Registration is open to people who just want to learn how to play chess, adults interested in volunteering for the LINC chess initiative’s before-and afterschool program or parents wanting to learn how to help their children with chess. Chess University is free to attend with pre-registration (http://kclinc.org/chess/).
“We’re always looking for volunteers,” Lingelbach says. “We try to make sure there’s at least one adult at each site to help chess instructors in the afterschool program.”
During the schoolyear, LINC works with seven school districts, leading before-and afterschool activities at 42 schools. In summer, the organization offers enrichment programs at those schools to help prevent learning loss over the three-month hiatus. The chess initiative is one of them. Students who participate in LINC’s afterschool chess program where they learn to play the game compete in local tournaments during the schoolyear. In 2005, students in the program at the former Mount Washington Elementary School in Independence, Mo., competed with the best players from across the state in the Missouri State Scholastic Chess Championships and won.
“They went on to nationals in Tennessee and took 25th,” Lingelbach says.
Missouri Chess Association Hall of Famer Zeb Fortman coached the winning team.
The Chess initiative employs 11 chess instructors for the afterschool program, four in the summer programs. Three will conduct chess camp and one instructor will teach Chess University.
The final day of chess camp will be given over to tournament play. Every chess camp participant will play five rounds.
“It’s a competition to see where each one of the kids is,” Lingelbach says. “We’ll keep a bracketed accounting to see who’s moving up and who’s doing well.”
While boys still typically outnumber girls at chess tournaments, an increasing number of girls are participating, he says. LINC is campaigning to attract more girls.
Last year, 20 youngsters attended chess camp, hosted by Chouteau Elementary School in North Kansas City.
The camp affords participants the opportunity to meet kids from other school districts and get a better understanding of the game of chess, Lingelbach says. It’s a great way for kids to learn to think strategically, build self-confidence and improve thinking skills and academic achievement.
Genesis School is wheelchair accessible.
For more information, contact Lingelbach at klingelbach@kclinc.org or 816-650-7525.
He says, “There are two possible outcomes in chess: You win or you learn.”
