ASAP Home
EVENTS
  • Wed, Sept. 15
    ASAP’s Directory Released
    15th & Market


  • Wed, Oct. 6
    Philly Plays Scrabble Kick-Off
    Central Branch Library



ASAP's Mission
ASAP’s mission is to keep Philadelphia’s youth safe and active by facilitating supervised enrichment activities in the dangerous after school hours.

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ASAP's blog
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ASAP’s Directory Released
Wednesday, September 15th 2010
15th and Market Streets

Look for ASAP's Directory of After School Programs, published in The Philadelphia Daily News. ASAP staff will also be handing out copies of this free resource, which is organized by zip code, during the morning commute as well as during lunch hour. Look for them in their red t-shirts near 15th and Market streets!

Philly Plays Scrabble Kick-Off
Wednesday, September 6th, 2010
Central Branch of the Free Library

11:00am

ASAP's literacy initiative, Philly Plays Scrabble, will kick-off for the school year at the Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. Students from throughout the city will then continue to play Scrabble weekly in ASAP Scrabble clubs at schools, libraries, and community centers throughout the city! For more information, please contact Emily Goss or 215-545-2727, ext 10.

Event 6
Thursday, April 23, 2009
To view our flyer, click here Lincoln Financial Field

The Eagles Youth Partnerships sponsors its annual all-day chess tournament for more than 200 of Philadelphia’s most competitive school-age students from ASAP’s Philadelphia Youth Chess Challenge, with a special awards ceremony in the Eagles locker room. Chess Challenge students also will have an opportunity to flex their chess muscles in scrimmage games against several Philadelphia Eagles players. In addition, this year’s tournament will feature a chess simul with local chess expert Chris Miller playing 15 students at one time.
To view our flyer, click here

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Chess Funders
Eagles Youth Partnership
Department of Health
Dolfinger-McMahon
Greenfield/Rosenberg
Phil Lindy
Mellon Charitable Trusts
Morgan Stanley
Neighborhoods Now
PECO
Phillies
Target
Henrietta Tower-Wurts
Townsend Foundation
Volpe-Koenig
Wachovia
Scrabble Funders
Comcast
Hasbro
The National SCRABBLE® Association
Parkway Foundation
PNC Bank
Verizon
Debate Funders
Fourjay Foundation
Lance Funston, Save a Mind Foundation
Dance / Yoga Funders
Dance:
Annenberg Foundation
Phoebe Haas Charitable Trust
The Food Trust
Yoga:
Patricia Kind Foundation
Penrose
People for People Charter
The 2009 Eagles Chess Tournament, held at Lincoln Financial Field.







Check out our Blog The official site of ASAP's Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League.
ASAP's Philadelphia Youth Chess Challenge

About The Chess Callenge
Since 2004, ASAP annually organizes over 200 chess clubs for 4,000 youth playing in schools, community and recreation centers, libraries, places of worship and homeless shelters across the city - making the Chess Challenge ASAP's centerpiece initiative.

Why Chess?
The Chess Challenge provides students with dedicated mentors and immerses them in a positive peer group focused on an activity that fosters creativity and develops decision-making skills. Indeed, scientific support for chess is extremely strong. The US Chess Federation (2007) sites numerous research studies on the importance of chess as a means to improving academic achievement, and increasing patience, self-control, and sportsmanship among school-aged kids. Furthermore, a recent New York Times article reported that ten colleges and universities are providing substantial scholarships to expert chess players because of their critical thinking skills and ability to strategize.

ASAP's Chess Events
To highlight Philadelphia's chess-playing youth, ASAP sponsors tournaments and other chess events throughout the year to promote socialization, engender a deeper understanding of the rules of the game, and celebrate the accomplishments of Chess Challenge kids. The Community College of Philadelphia, the Franklin Institute, National Constitution Center, the African American Museum of Philadelphia, and the Eagle's Lincoln Financial Field have all been hosts to Chess Challenge events, which include:

Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League
ASAP resurrected the defunct Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League in 2004. The League now boasts 69 teams at the elementary, middle and high school levels, competing in weekly matches across the city.

Monthly Saturday Chess Tournaments
ASAP's Chess Challenge tournaments are open to the public and feature five rounds of rated and non-rated tournament play for kids ages K-12 and adults.

Philly Girls Play Chess
ASAP is concerned about local and national statistics which reveal that the number of girls playing chess drops dramatically after the fourth grade. Through Philly Girls Play Chess, ASAP works with chess coaches, girls' organizations, and students to specifically target young girls in Philadelphia in an effort to stop the decrease in female players after the age of eight, keeping girls active and involved in chess.

Checkmate Violence 24-hour Chess Marathon
Each year, ASAP holds a 24-hour Chess Marathon to "checkmate violence" at Temple University. Much like a walk-a-thon, students gather pledges to raise money for their individual clubs and showcase the efforts of Chess Challenge kids to improve themselves and their communities. Participants have included Mayor Michael Nutter and Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, who have stayed just long enough to be checkmated by Chess Challenge students. Up to 200 chess players attend each year - with about 100 competing for the whole 24 hours!

MLK Jr. Family Chess Day
Inspired by a chess coach, ASAP's Family Chess Day is held on the weekend of the MLK Jr. holiday to unite families in an afternoon of positive intellectual and social interaction. More than 150 people have attended at the African American Museum of Philadelphia and each year Congressman Chaka Fattah plays a simul. game with several Chess Challenge youth.

For more information about ASAP's chess events, please contact Windsor Jordan at wjordan@phillyasap.org or 215-545-2727 ext. 18

How to Get Involved
Chess club leaders and club sites come from all walks of Philadelphia life and are just as diverse as the kids they serve. All club leaders and sites have a dedication to serving youth and believe in the benefits of chess for young people. No prior knowledge of chess is required to be a chess club leader or to host a club! ASAP provides training, materials, placement assistance, and ongoing support for its volunteers and site partners. Chess trainings are held monthly and are instructed by Steve Shutt coach of the Masterman School Chess team. Mr. Shutt currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Scholastic Council for the United States Chess Federation and previously served as the Vice-President of the Executive Board.

If You are a Volunteer…
We applaud you for your initiative! Those with interest in leading a Chess Challenge club please contact Ben Cooper at bcooper@phillyasap.org or 215-545-2727 ext. 17 with the following information:

  • Potential site or service area in mind (i.e. Northwest Philly, Olney, South Philly, etc.)
  • Time and days available to serve (ASAP requires a minimum of one hour per week for the equivalent of a semester, e.g. September-December or January-June)
  • Preferred age range

If a club leader does not have a specific site in mind, ASAP will help you find one. Once a volunteer site has been confirmed new club leaders must attend a New Chess Club Leader Training, provided by ASAP.

ASAP also prepares criminal background checks and abuse clearance forms, as well as FBI background checks for club leaders. These forms are required for volunteers not already under contract with another organization (such as the School District, Beacon, etc.).

If You are a Site…
ASAP coordinates clubs wherever children gather. If you are interested in hosting an ASAP-coordinated chess club please contact Ben Cooper at bcooper@phillyasap.org or 215-545-2727 ext. 17 with the following information:

  • Potential club leader
  • Time and days of availability (ASAP clubs generally run between 3pm and 6pm)
  • Number of students interested
  • Age range of students served by your site

ASAP generally asks that sites seek their own potential volunteers in their neighborhoods. Teachers, retired persons, parents, college students, and staff at your site are generally good places to start in order to find a volunteer. ASAP can provide flyers and notices to help recruit volunteers. In some cases ASAP is able to point a volunteer in your direction; however, it tends to be the case that the demand for volunteers outweighs the supply.

Click here to view chess funders

What happens after graduation starts with what happens after school.