600 Young school children from two local schools will have the opportunity to learn the strategic game of chess in the exciting, nationwide Moves for Life initiative sponsored by Tsogo Sun and organized in eMalahleni by The Ridge Casino.
Moves for Life, part of Tsogo Sun’s SunCares Program, uses the sport of chess as a catalyst for education in the crucial areas of maths, science and literacy. Over the next three years, Tsogo Sun will invest more than R10 million in the national school chess program.
Nationally, more than 400 teachers have been trained as facilitators in the program and by the end of the year about 15 000 children will be on their way to grasping the wonders of chess.
The eMalahleni schools that are part of the Tsogo Sun Moves for Life MiniChess Program are Hlankikahle Primary and Sibukosetho Primary. Learners range from Grade R level to Grade 3.
All together 16 teachers underwent training as facilitators at The Ridge Casino on May 20 and will continue to receive training on a quarterly basis.
The Ridge Casino’s Director of Operations and Complex General Manager, Solly Mataboge, said: “We are delighted to get this fantastic initiative running in eMalahleni. We believe this initiative has tremendous potential to enhance maths and literacy education amongst young children participating in the program.”
Tsogo Sun’s Group Corporate Social Investment Manager, Shanda Paine said: “Chess also has the well-earned reputation of contributing significantly to different skill sets within a child’s development.
There is much research to back up claims that chess improves concentration; it develops logical thinking, analytical skills, visualisation skills, decision-making skills, abstract thinking, planning skills, and memory, among others.”
