KRA Youth Discover Chess is Hip…Hop

One of KRA’s Youth Employability and Success program sites, Lake Taylor High School, offers a “Hip-Hop Chess Club”, an initiative of the Norfolk Police Department and the Norfolk Chess Federation. The Club encourages and improves mentoring relationships between youth and police and, more importantly, improves students’ critical thinking skills. Reportedly, studies have shown that students who play chess once a week during the school year double their Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores. One of KRA’s seniors at Lake Taylor, known for his skills and abilities as a football player, decided to try his hand at chess. He said that he “went up against some pretty tough players, but enjoyed  the mental challenge” that chess presents. SOL tests, given to all Virginia public school students in grades 3 through 8 and at the end of core content area courses in high school, are designed to measure academic achievement in reading, math, science, history, and writing. Learn more about the Hip-Hop program via a news item and short video at http://www.wvec.com/video/featured-videos/Chess-provides-link-between-police-kids-in-Norfolk–89550937.html.