MINUTES OF MACA EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEETING – 10/6/2015

The Meeting was conducted by phone on the evening of 10/6/2015.  Present were Chair Nicholas Sterling and Committee Members John Sadoff and Paul Arond.  Prior to the Meeting Chair N. Sterling had a brief discussion with Committee Member Nathan Smolensky, who was unable to stay on the line for the full Meeting.   At the beginning of the phone call, Chair N. Sterling welcomed P. Arond formally into the Education Committee.

Items discussed during the Meeting:

I. MEETTI (MA Early Education Teacher-Training Initiative or MACA Chess Training Initiative)

              A. Status of Interested Schools

                        1. Done already

                                a. So far we have talked to one Jewish school by phone

                                b. Nathan may approach Brookline Devotional School where he has taught chess before

                                c. Approximately 6-7 schools altogether have expressed some interest

                       2. To do

                                a. Go back to re-establish contact with "warm-market" schools (keep them or get them back in the pipeline)

                                b. Evaluate what materials we will need when visiting a school in person (described in next section); possible audiences:

                                           i. School principal or headmaster

                                           ii. Interested teacher

                                           iii. Contact at teachers' union

                                           iv. Other administrator (e.g., Community Education Director)

              B. Presentation materials (making mission of MEETTI clear)

                        1. MEETTI Guide (primary item) - done

                        2. Murray Chandler Chess for Children - done

                        3. PowerPoint presentation - to do; explaining briefly (including but not limited to):

                                  a. History and current status of chess education (scattered and catch-as-catch-can)

                                  b. Reasons for bringing chess education into day-school curriculum (as opposed to only after school)

                                  c. Reasons for having teacher in school conduct the chess class (as opposed to hired/contracted outside instructor)

                                  d. Budget

                                                 i. Equipment (LMCF may help here, especially in low-income environments; e,g, new Dorchester program)

                                                 ii. Additional teaching books and software

                                                 iii. Memberships

                                                 iv. Instructor rate if outside instructor brought in (volunteer unlikely)

                         4. Other handouts or online sites, such as MACA site, providing additional information

II. Online Forum and List of Educational Resources

             A. Forum

                         1. Chess educators can submit questions and receive support (both MEETTI and after-school or weekend)

                         2. Experienced coaches can be "on call" to receive and answer inquiries

                         3. Articles or documents can be published, especially those submitted for publication by outsiders

                         4. Chess coaching positions can be advertised (key point I'm adding)

                         5. Tiffany had previously created Forum, but it is not yet active on website (will make it so when we finally get project underway)

             B. Facebook (conversation with Ed Chiu of Promotions)

                         1. Additional page besides main MACA Facebook page, devoted to MACA Education

                         2. Same items published on Forum can go here too, especially submitted articles

             C. List of additional resources and websites

                        1. Separate page on website (besides Forum and MEETTI description)

                        2. Can include contents of school/library chess education database (key point I'm adding)

                                  a. Compiled privately with Steve Dann's help

                                  b. Intended as geographic guide of existing in-state library chess education programs

III. Education Expo

             A. Boston Chess Congress NOT desirable

                         1. Isolation of ballroom from tournament space (split off by downstairs restaurant)

                         2. Adult tournament: focus on playing NOT education

                         3. Sharon Burtman's talk drew big attendance, but otherwise Expo room was mostly empty (Nathan in prior conversation)

             B. Other tournaments also questionable

                         1. Focus on play does not mesh well with education objective

                         2. Space sometimes too limited for exhibit tables (Bob Messenger in an earlier outside conversation)

            C. Instead, education conferences

                         1. Research into which ones are offered, and when - to do

                         2. Chess education will mix in beautifully with STEM (as NESA is now getting into)

                         3. Theme will draw in viewers with the right mindset