Chess for Change Inclusion
Imagine you are a child who was born into a vulnerable community, who lacks educational support at home, and who has underachieved in school all your life.
You grow up and slowly, you become convinced of your own limited intellectual abilities. You begin to lose interest in school and you misbehave, in tune with the discriminatory labels you often get.
But one day you are given the chance to discover the game of chess and it sparks your interest. A team of dedicated people support you to attend training twice a week. You start to see your mind working and you get better and better. You take part in your first competitions and to your surprise, you manage to win even against kids who are training to be chess players.
You get a taste of success achieved by own forces. You realize you are capable of more. You begin to believe that it is worth striving to reach beyond the limiations of the vulnerable environment where you were born.
You begin to see new perspectives for the future…
This is one of the transformative experiences that we have the privilege to witness and contribute to together with the members of the 3 extraordinary teams of professionals from Romania and Hungary who realized the Chess Start RO-HU 277 project.
In the heart of Roma communities in Romania and Hungary, a unique project unfolds, transforming lives with every strategic move. Chess became a lifeline for 100 disadvantaged children, teaching them skills, resilience and self-esteem. With dedicated chess rooms, trained mentors, and competitions, the project sparks hope, fosters social inclusion, and shatters barriers. As these young minds master the game, they also master their destinies, proving that with the right support, every child can be a champion.
Chess Start RO-HU project is a pioneering initiative that leverages the strategic game of chess as a powerful tool for child development, social inclusion, and cross-border cooperation. This project, led by CREST and STEA associations and DÁVID Sports Club, operates within the marginalised Roma communities in Nyíregyháza, Hungary, and Satu Mare, Romania, empowering over 100 disadvantaged children.
By integrating chess training with essential life skills development activities, the project aims to uplift and empower vulnerable children, particularly those from marginalised Roma communities. Through innovative pedagogical tools and methodologies, including training manuals and guidelines, professionals working with children are equipped to conduct activities that foster cognitive and emotional growth.
These activities not only boost self-esteem but also encourage positive social interactions, fostering a sense of community and belonging. Joint activities such as chess competitions and camps bring together children from diverse backgrounds, breaking down barriers and combatting discrimination.
The project empowers children to navigate life’s challenges with increased confidence and resilience while promoting a spirit of unity and mutual respect. The emphasis on collaboration between social service NGOs and chess organisations facilitates knowledge sharing and capacity building, aiming to develop sustainable solutions to common challenges faced by marginalised communities.
The holistic approach of Chess Start RO-HU ensures that individual personal growth translates into broader societal benefits. By fostering understanding, empathy, and unity across borders, the project significantly contributes to European cohesion. Its focus on empowerment, inclusion, and mutual support positions Chess Start RO-HU as a model for innovative social intervention programs, with the potential to create lasting impacts and build a more inclusive and cohesive Europe for future generations.
Period : December 2018 – December 2019
Total budget : 69.996,42 EUR, of which ERDF 59.496,94 EUR.
The CREST Association in partnership with the STEA Association and the DAVID Sports Club in Hungary implemented between 01.12.2018 – 30.11.2019 the project entitled „CHESS START RO-HU – Joint development of a cross-border chess-based social inclusion tool”, ROHU code 277. The project was co-financed through the RO-HU Interreg Program 2014-2020, Priority PA6 – Promoting cross-border cooperation between institutions and citizens, Specific objective SO11 / b Intensify sustainable cross-border cooperation of institutions and communities.
This project brought together organizations from Satu Mare and Nyiregyhaza, working with children from marginalized Roma communities facing similar problems in term of marginalization and discrimination and it enhances joint organizational capacity to develop innovative solutions. The created partnership developed social inclusion opportunities of vulnerable children in the cross-border area using chess both as a personal development tool and a mean to create positive interaction opportunities with other community members to sustain social inclusion and reduce discrimination.
Intervention in marginalized Roma communities facing similar problems:
- Inequality in development opportunities for children living in marginalized Roma communities and other children
- Severe discrimination which reduces the chances of social inclusion of these children
Developing social inclusion opportunities for vulnerable children in the cross-border area by using chess both as a tool for personal development and as a means of creating opportunities for positive interaction with other members of the community to support social inclusion and reduce discrimination.
Objectives
- To intensify sustainable cross-border cooperation of the communities of Satu Mare and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg for innovative solutions to common problems of social inclusion of marginalized communities
- To create opportunities to reduce the life skills development gaps of children in need compared to other children in the cross-border area
3 + 2 NGOs
chess trainers and social workers from Romania and Hungary building and implementing the program
100 children
70% form marginalized Roma communities in Romania and Hungary involved in the program
300 children and 78 adults
participating in joint chess competitions and events in cross-border area
USING THE CHESS METHODOLOGY
- A strategy based on motivating the child
- The child = partner in the process of his own development
- Complex assessment of the child’s needs, interests and expectations + continuous adaptation of the program
- Interactive methods and experiential components, child-centered learning strategies
- Involving children in a regular program of activities that motivates them
CHESS & LIFE SKILLS
Chess training twice a week combine with life skills developement activities on 4 domains :
- Cognitive and learning skills (memory, attention, logic, resource management strategy, problem solving)
- Social and relationship skills (with adults, with other children), cooperation and teamwork
- Emotional skills and self-knowledge (emotion management)
- Independent living skills and autonomy
JOINT INCLUSIVE ACTIVITIES
- Know-how transfer and creation of guidelines
- 2 training courses for the project team 12 participants (6 from Romania and 6 from Hungary)
Training NGO staff in chess teaching
Training partners’ staff in life skills development programs - Elaboration of training manuals:
„Chess teaching methods in Bethen and Palasti schools”
„Manual for life skills development programs”
Development of methodological guide and model intervention tools:
„Program of life skills development through chess”
2. Joint activities with Roma, Romanian and Hungarian children and families :
- 4 international chess competitions
- 1 chess and personal development camp
- educational and cultural activities
RESULTS
- Preventing school dropp-out and increasing school frequency
- Effective educational and development opportunities that enable children from marginalized communities to acquire the knowledge they need to get out of the vicious circle of poverty.
- Improved results at cognitive evaluation tests, as well as noticeble postive changes în the observed behaviour
- Creation of the guide of the innovative program for the development of children’s life skills through chess.
REDUCED INEQUALITIES
- Tested viable solutions to reduce gaps in the self-esteem and life skills of children from different social backgrounds, promoting equal opportunities for all children and combating discrimination against vulnerable groups
- Creating concrete opportunities for positive interactions through sport between community members and vulnerable people, thus contributing to changing the mentality rooted in stereotypes
LIFE SKILLS DEVELOPEMENT THROUGH CHESS
The innovation that this project brings includes:
- Using the huge development potential of chess on children as a central element on which a social intervention program is built on, increasing self-esteem and supporting the social inclusion of children from marginalized communities-
- Creating cross-border partnership between social services providing NGO’s and chess organizations, putting together their knowledge, skills and experience to tackle common challenges within their local communities: inequity in development opportunities between children living in Roma marginalized communities and other children and also, severe discrimination problems, that hider social inclusion chances of these children.
- Creating concrete opportunities for positive interactions through sport among community members and vulnerable people, thus contributing to changing mentality anchored in negative stereotypes about people from marginalized communities and especially about Roma.
