Hola!
Regular followers know that my chess friend, Shira Evans, is currently visiting an orphanage in Portugal, teaching the children there so many amazing things!
Shira has put up a new You Tube video showing some of the events surrounding Class 2 on Day 2. The joy of discovery (the Leapster devices) and the joy of discovering how to use the Leapster is evident in the face of each and every child as they work through the lessons Shira leads. Please follow along as the children learn how to express themselves by drawing a picture on a Leapster screen --
Shira is the founder and President of Computer Labs for Kids, a non-profit organization, that provides laptops and age-appropriate electronic tools, as well as lessons on how to use them, to indigent children around the world.
Shira hasn't played "serious" chess for awhile, but a few years ago, she had a rating in excess of 1700 and was one of the highest-rated (maybe the highest-rated) female players in the state of Wyoming. And then, she made a decision to quit playing, except for an occasional pick-up game, as she focused on her career.
That career led Shira to Chicago where she was involved in a program that provided computers to schools serving under-privileged children. Out of that experience grew Shira's desire to do more for kids in need.
The same drive and determination that compelled Shira to excel in chess have been applied to the Computer Labs for Kids Foundation. Since January, 2009, Shira has visited orphanages in India (Agra), Israel (Ashkelon), and now she is in Portugal. At each of these places Shira has provided lessons to the children on how to care for and use the lap-top computers and Leapsters she has distributed to them, free of charge.
Needless to say, the program has been a big hit with the children!
You can read more about Shira's Foundation and how I first met Shira (and then reconnected with her after several years) by clicking on the labels for this post. By the way, that photo is of the Cheyenne Chess Club, 2005. Shira is the tall, fashionably attired chess femme wearing the checkerboard-patterned jeans on the right in the group photo. That year she finished in a solid 9th place (out of 19 players) in the 2nd Tri-State Championship with 2.0/4.
Shira and I are going to play a three-game chess match - just for fun for ourselves, and also we hope to raise some money for Shira's Computer Labs for Kids. Please follow along as our chess match looms ever closer - I'm blogging about it.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Shira Chess Challenge: Portugal Class 2 Day 2
Hola!
Regular followers know that my chess friend, Shira Evans, is currently visiting an orphanage in Portugal, teaching the children there so many amazing things!
Shira has put up a new You Tube video showing some of the events surrounding Class 2 on Day 2. The joy of discovery (the Leapster devices) and the joy of discovering how to use the Leapster is evident in the face of each and every child as they work through the lessons Shira leads. Please follow along as the children learn how to express themselves by drawing a picture on a Leapster screen --
Shira is the founder and President of Computer Labs for Kids, a non-profit organization, that provides laptops and age-appropriate electronic tools, as well as lessons on how to use them, to indigent children around the world.
Shira hasn't played "serious" chess for awhile, but a few years ago, she had a rating in excess of 1700 and was one of the highest-rated (maybe the highest-rated) female players in the state of Wyoming. And then, she made a decision to quit playing, except for an occasional pick-up game, as she focused on her career.
That career led Shira to Chicago where she was involved in a program that provided computers to schools serving under-privileged children. Out of that experience grew Shira's desire to do more for kids in need.
The same drive and determination that compelled Shira to excel in chess have been applied to the Computer Labs for Kids Foundation. Since January, 2009, Shira has visited orphanages in India (Agra), Israel (Ashkelon), and now she is in Portugal. At each of these places Shira has provided lessons to the children on how to care for and use the lap-top computers and Leapsters she has distributed to them, free of charge.
Needless to say, the program has been a big hit with the children!
You can read more about Shira's Foundation and how I first met Shira (and then reconnected with her after several years) by clicking on the labels for this post. By the way, that photo is of the Cheyenne Chess Club, 2005. Shira is the tall, fashionably attired chess femme wearing the checkerboard-patterned jeans on the right in the group photo. That year she finished in a solid 9th place (out of 19 players) in the 2nd Tri-State Championship with 2.0/4.
Shira and I are going to play a three-game chess match - just for fun for ourselves, and also we hope to raise some money for Shira's Computer Labs for Kids. Please follow along as our chess match looms ever closer - I'm blogging about it.
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