Pt Fortin students benefit from chess initiative

THE Point Fortin Chess Centre recently facilitated a collaboration between non-governmental organisation Creative Minds Development Initiative (CMDI) and the Ministry of Education to establish and mentor chess clubs in primary and secondary schools in the St Patrick district.

Dr Jo-Anne Sewlal, co-founder of CMDI, who delivered an address at the launch, expressed her gratitude to the Ministry of Education, St Patrick district for inviting CMDI to be part of the collaboration.

CMDI is an educational NGO with a mission to bring educational opportunities in fields such as sports, academics, culture, and life skills to communities – primarily those that are geographically isolated.

The Point Fortin Chess Centre, co-founded by Sewlal and Raymond Aaron, has been in existence for three years.

PFCC, through Sewlal, developed five study manuals in the categories of novice, intermediate and advanced levels. They are available for purchase at local book stores.

Twenty-three primary schools within the St Patrick district served as pioneer schools for the project.

Additionally, a series of introductory chess sessions were conducted at secondary schools in the Point Fortin area. The launch ended with the distribution of chess training equipment to the pioneer schools.

As a follow-up to the launch, the first chess coach training session for teachers took place at the Point Fortin West Secondary School. At the session, six more schools joined in the initiative. The session was conducted by the Point Fortin Chess Centre under the guidance of Sewlal, Aaron, and other trainers in Nikhil Nicholas, Shedron Collins and Franklyn Permell. The interactive training session covered the basics of chess and equipped these future chess coaches with the knowledge to teach their students the basics of the game and to master the novice level.