Dear Friends of Chess in the Schools,

This time of year gives us all a perfect opportunity to reflect upon the past months and, with hopeful anticipation, look to the year ahead. Our 30^th Anniversary year closed in June, and we continue our strong service to low-income youth through chess education. We are truly grateful for what our supporters made possible during 2017.

 With our donors’ help, this year we:

• Taught 11,000 low-income children chess in 44 schools
• Taught 100 teachers through 6 free workshops
• Held 30 free tournaments, with 400-700 participants each
• Had a 100% high school graduation rate from our College Bound program, with 95% college matriculation
• Held the first 2017 Chess in the Schools New York City All Girls Chess Championship in more than 20 years
• Updated our mission statement
• Launched our brand new website. Please visit chessintheschools.org and tell us what you think.

Every day, chess changes lives, and our work is only possible with your help! Each of our donors plays a pivotal role in our success and in helping Chess in the Schools make a difference in the lives of those we serve. We hope you will help us use chess as an important tool to teach critical thinking, problem solving and the self-confidence needed to succeed in school and life!

Sincerely,

Debbie Eastburn

President & CEO