Computer Labs for Kids: Volunteers Needed for SOS Childrens Village Illinois Project

Shira Evans is looking for additional volunteers (last count, she needs 10) to assist in her Foundation's project next Sunday, November 15, 2009, at the SOS Childrens Village Illinois in Chicago, Illinois. (Computer Labs for Kids). The goal is to have one mentor/buddy for each child (28 in all). You do not need to know about computers, but you must be willing to work with a pre-teen child who is in foster care for about three hours next Sunday afternoon in Chicago and work with your child-buddy through a program that Shira will lead. At the end of the program your child-buddy will receive a Certificate of Completion and also be awarded with his or her own Dell notebook computer, donated by Shira's Computer Labs for Kids Foundation. If you volunteer, you must be willing to complete a short online "course" (it's more of an outline) of what you will be doing as an adult buddy working with your foster child. As a special note, for this project Shira requested donations of software that will teach kids how to play chess. Less than 24 hours after the request for donations went out, GM Susan Polgar (SPICE, Susan Polgar Foundation, and the popular blog) donated the necessary copies of her very own software program specifically geared toward teaching youngsters the game of chess in under 30 minutes. So, for the very first time (but hopefully not the last), the kids that Computer Labs for Kids helps will be receiving computers downloaded with chess software that Shira, I, and many other volunteers will be sure to demonstrate how it works to as many kids as we can, to introduce them to the mysteries and the wonders of Chess. We all know about the many benefits that learning chess can bring to a child. Can you help by volunteering your time and a little bit of your heart next week Sunday? You can sign up here. If you would like more information, please email me.