USA Chess
 

2009 Philadelphia Summer Chess Camp

USA Chess is the largest and premier chess camp organizer for children in the United States. Our staff is comprised of the best children's chess instructors in North America including the renowned children's chess coach National Master Noureddine Ziane!

When:
June 29 - July 2, 2009
(4-day camp)

Where:
Springside School
8000 Cherokee Street, Philadelphia, PA 19118
(Directions)

Who:
Coeds ages 5 through 16. Beginners through Advanced.

Attendance Options:
Morning Session: June 29 - July 2, 2009; 9am - 12pm
Afternoon Session: June 29 - July 2, 2009; 1pm - 4pm
All-Day Session: June 29 - July 2, 2009; 9am - 4pm

Cost:
Morning Session: $210 by 05/15/09, $235 after.
Afternoon Session: $210 by 05/15/09, $235 after.
All-Day Session: $325 by 05/15/09, $350 after.

*Tuition includes chess board & pieces, camp t-shirt, trophy, scorebook, certificate with group photo, and work folder*

YES! We still have openings!

Registration Options:

Online Registration via Secure Server

Printable Registration Form to Mail or Fax

Details
Once your registration is received you will be emailed a confirmation packet which includes important forms that must be returned on the first day of camp. Please do not mail these forms to us. You must provide an email address with your registration, as this is how you will receive any and all communication about the camp. All registrations and payments must be received by midnight the Friday before camp starts. After this date, add $25 to tuition and then you must register/pay online. Walk-in spots available on a first come, first serve basis and subject to a $25 walk-in fee. Discount rate of $20 off per camper with groups of five or more. Registrations and payments must be mailed together to qualify for group rate. Please call 888.65.CHESS or 281.257.0078 for more information or email info@chesscamp.com for more information. USA Chess does not offer extended care, however the host school may offer it through their own summer programs. Please contact the host school if you are interested.

Typical Day
For AM and PM campers, the typical day consists of two classroom lessons lasting an hour each, with an hour break in between for practice and snack. All-day campers follow the same schedule, with an hour-long lunch break for lunch and recess. The All-day campers are grouped with other All-day campers and follow their own curriculum, separate from the AM and PM campers. Campers stay with the same teacher and group for the entire week. The final day of camp is Graduation Day. The graduation events commence with a short informational presentation and Q & A session. Then the campers will receive a trophy, certificate of achievement, chess board and pieces and a work folder full of work completed and concepts explained throughout the week.

Q & A Session
A brief Q & A session will be held on the first day from 9:15am-9:45am and then again on the last day of camp, in conjunction with the graduation ceremony, at 11am and 3pm. This session will discuss the camp, the staff, the goals of the camp, the instructors, classroom instruction and any other questions parents may have. Parents who wish to participate in this session should drop their children off to the appropriate table or classroom and then proceed to the room where this session will be held. Signs will be posted, or you can ask camp staff where to go.

Camper Placement
Depending upon camper age, ability and instructor assessment, campers will be grouped and divided into their groups during a 45-minute observation period on the first day. Campers will be taught different aspects of chess through the use of various teaching methods including worksheets, game analysis, contests, play, tactics, stories and a variety of other fun and entertaining methods. We appreciate requests for friends to be placed in the same group, however we cannot guarantee this until after the first day's observation. On the first day of camp, please talk to your child's instructor and inform him/her if you have friends in the camp and would like to be grouped with them. We will make every attempt to keep friends together.

Instructors
Our instructors come from various backgrounds and locations. However they all have one thing in common – they are all the best in their field and they all teach chess as full-time professionals. We continually search for the most talented and dynamic children’s chess instructors across North America. We feel strongly enough about our instructors’ abilities, that we fly them to each of our camps across the U.S. from their home cities. For these reasons, our selection process for instructors is highly competitive.  In addition to in-person meetings, interviews and classroom observations, we conduct thorough background checks to ensure only the best instructors in the country are a part of our team. All of our instructors share the ability to teach chess in an engaging, fun and exciting way. We believe our team is most effective in teaching chess to children of all ages and levels.  We also believe the skills we are sharing with these campers are not limited to their chess play.  Many studies have shown chess to provide children with higher problem solving abilities and higher testing scores than non-chess players.  The processes utilized in chess are extremely transferable to all aspects of school and life. It is our goal to make the experience these children have at our camps far-reaching and long lasting.

Cancellation/Change Policy
A full refund minus a $50 service fee is given if cancellation request is received 30 days before camp. After this, refunds will not be given. If a child is sick and is unable to attend the camp, a doctor’s note is required for a refund minus service fee to be given. Switching sessions or camps is permitted based on space available. There will be a $25 change fee accessed for any change.

Parent-Only Class NEW TIME
Join us each Tuesday for a parent-only class. Parents who have never played chess before will learn the basic rules and opening tactics. For parents who know about chess, opening principals and strategies will be discussed.
When: Tuesdays 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Cost: $29 if pre-registered, $39 on-site.
Where: Camp Location

Registration Options:

Online Registration via Secure Server

Printable Registration Form to Mail or Fax