ASAP After School Activities Partnerships

PA State Scholastic Chess Championships
Friday, March 5 - Sunday, March 7, 2010
Carlisle, PA

ASAP is sponsoring 45-50 Chess Challenge students to compete in the Scholastic State Chess Championships, a weekend long competition that will pit Chess Challenge students against the best the State has to offer! ASAP sponsorship includes transportation, hotel accommodations, and tournament fees. Last year Chess Challenge students brought back nearly two-dozen trophies and are itching for an even higher yield this year. Wish them luck!

6th Annual Haverford College Greater Philadelphia High School Chess Open
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Haverford College, Haverford, PA

High school and advanced middle school players can compete in this challenging and fun tournament at Haverford College. Attendees will receive a tour of the campus at the conclusion of competition. ASAP is providing transportation to and from the college. Please register for this tournament by 3/19/2010 by contacting Caitlin Coslett at haverfordchess@gmail.com.

To view the event flyer, click here

Checkmate Violence 24 Hour Chess Marathon
Friday, April 16th- Saturday, April 17th, 2010
Temple University Gittis Student Center, 13th & Montgomery Sts.
Grand Hall, Second Floor

5:00pm Friday-5:00pm Saturday

ASAP’s Philadelphia Youth Chess Challenge students are holding a 24-hour Chess Marathon sponsored by PECO to checkmate violence in Philadelphia. Beginning Friday evening participants can compete for prizes in fun chess games including a simultaneous match vs. two-time U.S. Women’s Champion Jennifer Shahade, a chess coaches tournament, and bug house and blitz tournaments! On Saturday ASAP will run an a traditional 5 round tournament for student 1st-12 grade. Prizes will be awarded to the best performers of the day as well as to those brave enough to play chess for the full 24 hours!

Please register by by April 9th by contacting Windsor Jordan at 215-545-2727 ext. 18, or wjordan@phillyasap.org.

MLK Day of Service
Monday, January 18, 2010
Girard College
2101 South College Ave.
Philadelphia, Pa 19121

ASAP will be participating in the 15th Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service by leading trainings for new ASAP chess and Scrabble club leaders.

The training will take place at Girard College, which has been chosen as the hub for this year’s day of service campaign. ASAP will be one of many local organizations running volunteer related activities at Girard College on the 18th. It is a wonderful way to attend an ASAP training (required to lead an ASAP chess or Scrabble club) and also be a part of a larger collective effort.

Participants will also receive a free lunch and an MLK Day of Service t-shirt.

To pre-register contact Ben Cooper for chess or Emily Goss for Scrabble

Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League Finals
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, Pa 19104

Buses will arrive at participating schools for a 1:15pm pick-up and will depart the Museum at 5pm.

Congratulations to the winning teams from the Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League Semi-Finals, who will compete for the Championship! The other Semi-final teams will also compete at the Museum for third place in their conference. Match-ups for the Finals are listed below:

High School Chess League Finals
Masterman @ Carver
Middle School Chess League Finals
Blankenburg @ Masterman
Elementary School Chess League Finals
Cleveland @ Blankenburg

High School Chess League Third Place Contest
George Washington @ Bok
Middle School Chess League Third Place Contest
Steel @ Gideon
Elementary School Chess League Third Place Contest
Reynolds and Overbrook Education Center (Home team to be determined)

Outstanding Achievement Awards
Outstanding Achievement Awards will be given to students showing high performance in the Chess League. Coaches will be informed of qualifying students prior to the finals.

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

	Chess League Finals Determine City Champs Congratulations to all the teams who competed in the Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League Finals amongst the pharaohs at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology! 69 teams began the season with their eye on the city Championship, but in the end only three teams could emerge victorious! A special thank you to ASAP's guest Andrea Malone of Volpe and Koenig whose support has made the Chess League possible, and to local philanthropist, Phil Lindy, whose support will send 50 Chess Challenge students to this year’s PA State Chess Championships in Carlisle, PA.
	Scholastic Chess League Semi-Finals are held at Citizen's Bank Park! After a 12-week season of regional chess matches sponsored by ASAP and involving 69 public school teams, the Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League held its semi-finals at Citizens Bank Park. Special thanks to the Philadelphia Phillies and chess league sponsor Volpe & Koenig, P.C. Congratulations to the winning teams from the semi-finals, who will compete for the Championship at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology! Click here to view the match-ups for the Finals.
	Philly Plays Scrabble Mid-Winter Tournament The School District Atrium was filled with the sound of thinking on February 4th, as 150 elementary and middle school students participated in Philly Plays Scrabble's Mid-Winter Tournament, sponsored by Comcast, PNC Bank, and Verizon. "Ponder! Ponder!" coached Cidney Alexander to her team of 6th grade students from Hackett School. "It's a thinking person's game. It's not a race." Ms. Alexander is a literacy teacher who uses Scrabble to help her students identify the prefix, suffix and root of words. She said the students delight in seeing their own growth each week as they improve in the game and in their reading skills.
	MLK Family Chess Day More than 200 Philadelphia school students, their parents and chess coaches gathered to play chess in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the African American Museum of Philadelphia. Congressman Chaka Fattah played seven students simultaneously! Mr. Kenneth Salaame, Philadelphia Freedom Fighter, spoke about his experience working with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Philadelphia and in the South. This is the third annual MLK Jr. Family Chess Day to honor the memory of Dr. King and his philosophy of non-violence.
	Leadership Philadelphia Partners with ASAP! Volunteer club leaders from Leadership Philadelphia will be co-leading a Philly Plays Scrabble Club at the Caring People Alliance after school program at Ferguson School in North Philly. The new group of volunteers is made up of professionals from Leadership Philadelphia, whose mission is "to mobilize and connect the talent of the private sector to serve the community." In addition to the Scrabble club, the group also will share information on their careers and education with the students.
	Philadelphia Scholastic Debate League Finals The Philadelphia Scholastic Debate League ended its 10-week season of Public Forum style debate with Central High School's Lucas Koerner and Sophia Mayne-Deluca taking first place. At the Debate Finals held in December, special guest speaker The Honorable Pamela P. Dembe, President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, encouraged students to stay in school and stay involved in debate. Special thanks to PSDL sponsor, the Save A Mind Foundation, and congratualtions to all of the PSDL student debaters on an exciting season!
	Philly Plays Scrabble Tournament Philly Plays Scrabble month culminated in a city-wide tournament for novice players at the Community College of Philadelphia, sponsored by Comcast, PNC Bank, and Verizon. Pictured are the winners of the Adult, High School, and School Scrabble divisions, as well as special guests, Deputy Police Commissioner, Charlotte Council, and a representative for Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers. Council and Ayers kicked off the month-long Philly Plays Scrabble program in early October when they challenged each other to a friendly game at Central Library.
	Delaware Investments Supports ASAP's Kids ASAP is grateful for contributions received from the Delaware Investments Charity Golf Classic. Delaware Investments President Pat Coyne is shown receiving a traveling chess set from ASAP Executive Director Maria Walker during a recent visit to Franklin Learning Center’s Chess Club. Jerel Hopkins and Ania Mikson of Delaware Investments Charity Selection Committee look on.
	Philly Plays Scrabble Kick-Off: Battle of the Commissioners! Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers faced off in a friendly competition against Deputy Police Commissioner Charlotte Council during the Philly Plays Scrabble Kick-off event at the Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia on Oct. 1. Assisting the commissioners are Briana Douglas, a sophomore from Carver HS Scrabble Club, and Khaleef Burns, a sophomore from Carver HS Scrabble Club. Also in attendance were representatives from longtime Philly Plays Scrabble sponsors, Verizon, including Verizon President Gale Given and Director of Public Relations Jim Reed. ASAP also wants to thank additional sponsors Comcast Foundation and PNC Bank.
	Chess in the Summer Chess Challenge students and coaches won't let their chess skills go unchallenged in the summer months! Instead they gathered on August 12 at the Liberty Place atrium to challenge each other, as well as passersby, to a friendly game of chess. Special thanks to event sponsor Volpe and Koenig, P.C. for ensuring that Chess Challenge kids remain safe and active throughout the summer.
	Philly Girls Play Chess ASAP held the second annual Philly Girls Play Chess Tournament – the only all-girls chess tournament in the city. More than 150 of Philadelphia young female chess players competed in a formal tournament at Drexel University’s Creese Student Center in May. Philly Girls Play Chess is ASAP’s citywide initiative to increase the number of chess playing girls in the Philadelphia Youth Chess Challenge. The event was hosted by Drexel’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership and sponsored by the Hamilton Family Foundation.
	Spring into SCRABBLE! At the National Constitution Center One hundred and fifty youth (2nd-12th grades) from ASAP's 'Philly Plays SCRABBLE' program participated in the third annual "Spring into Scrabble" event, hosted this year, by the National Constitution Center. This year's event provided youth from ASAP Scrabble clubs with the opportunity to meet and challenge peers from across the city who share their love of Scrabble. Students were also paid a surprise visit by Mayor Michael Nutter who praised them for their involvement in the city-wide school Scrabble program. Philly Plays Scrabble is sponsored by Comcast, Hasbro, The National Scrabble Association, Parkway Corporation, PNC, and Verizon.
	Eagles Chess Tournament More than 200 of Philadelphia’s top youth chess players competed where the Eagles usually battle on the gridiron during the Eagles Chess Tournament sponsored by the Eagles Youth Partnership on Thursday, April 23, with Samuel Fels High School taking top honors. Students from 40 Chess Challenge clubs participated in the formal tournament and played scrimmage games between rounds with several Philadelphia Eagles players, including Brent Celek, Philadelphia Eagles tight end; Akeem Jordan, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker; and Sav Rocca, Philadelphia Eagles punter. In addition, this year’s tournament featured a chess simul with local chess expert Chris Miller, who played 15 students at one time. The students finished the day with a special awards ceremony in the Eagles Locker Room, thanks to the Philadelphia Eagles and the Eagles Youth Partnership!
	Community Yoga Night at Shaw Beacon! ASAP, Shaw Beacon, and Blueprint for a Safer Philadelphia sponsored a Community Yoga Night at Shaw Beacon, during which members of the community, including adults, teens, and elementary school students took advantage of free yoga classes led by ASAP yoga instructors and learned techniques for reducing stress. Afterward, volunteers from The Reiki School & Clinic and Philadelphia Community Acupuncture provided wellness information for participants, some of whom also received door prizes, including 10 free class cards, courtesy of Wake Up Yoga.
	Checkmate Violence Marathon Mayor Nutter helped kick-off the Second Annual PECO-ASAP Checkmate Violence 24-Hour Chess Marathon with a half-hour long chess match against Marqel Styles, Cleveland School. More than 250 Chess Challenge students and chaperones participated with 100 spending the night at Temple University’s Gittis Student Center playing a variety of chess games, including speed chess, bug house, a coaches tournament, and an exciting chess “simul” with 20 Chess Challenge kids competing at one time against two-time US Women’s Chess Champion Jennifer Shahade!
	Center City Law Firm Contributes to Scholastic Chess League Jay Halt, President of Volpe & Koenig, presents a check in the amount of $20,000 to ASAP’s Executive Director Maria Walker and ASAP's Chess Coordinator Windsor Jordan, for the support of the Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League. Members of the Blankenburg Chess Club, with coach Mikyeil El-Mekki, were winners of this year’s Chess League finals for the elementary school division. The team members proudly display trophies won during the Chess League finals and at this year’s State Chess Championship in Carlisle.
	Scholastic Chess League Finalists Celebrate with Don Tollefson & The Phillie Phanatic! The 2008-09 season of the Philadelphia Scholastic Chess League culminated in a final championship tournament at Citizens' Bank Park, where both Don Tollefson and the Phillie Phanatic recognized individuals with outstanding performances during the regular season. Fels High School and Blankenburg Elementary were crowned first time champions, while Masterman Middle School retained its title from the previous year.
	Congressman Fattah attends the MLK Family Chess Day ASAP and the African American Museum of Philadelphia hosted the 2nd annual Family Chess Day. The event was the brainchild of Chess Challenge coach Mr. Gil Motley. In the spirit of Dr. King's philosophy of non-violence, ASAP's Philadelphia Youth Chess Challenge kids honored his memory by showing that playing chess after school is a safe, enriching positive alternative to violence. Chess Challenge kids invited family, friends, guardians or caregivers to play chess for peace on MLK weekend. People new to the game had an opportunity to learn as well. Congressman Chaka Fattah competed against 6 Chess Challenge kids simultaneously.
	Northeast High School Receives Top Honors at Debate League Finals! District Attorney Lynne Abraham and ASAP supporter Lance Funston congratulated all the students who participated in the 2008 Philadelphia Scholastic Debate League finals on December 17. Students from 17 teams competed in the Debate League, up from 9 teams in 2006. This year's finals were held at LaSalle University.
	ASAP's Philly Dance Clubs Shine! ASAP showcased six after school dance clubs featuring Philadelphia youth - from elementary, middle and high schools citywide - in the PHILLY DANCE: DON'T MISS THE BUS TOUR at the Penrose School, 2515 S. 78th Street, sponsored by The Annenberg Foundation and The Phoebe Haas Charitable Trust.
	Mayor Nutter and Dr. Arlene Ackerman Help Celebrate Philly Plays SCRABBLE® Month! City Coucil recognized October 2008 as Philly Plays SCRABBLE® month, highlighting ASAP's partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia. Mayor Nutter and School District Superintendent Arlene Ackerman helped kick-off the month long literacy celebration, which features a city-wide tournament for wordsmiths of all ages.

	Chess Challenge Kids Checkmate Violence Mayor Michael Nutter congratulates Nyeem Alston, 5th grader at Cleveland Elementary School, after Alston beat the mayor in four moves at the PECO-ASAP Checkmate Violence 24-Hour Chess Marathon held at Temple University and sponsored by PECO.


	Spring Into SCRABBLE® ASAP’s PHILLY PLAYS SCRABBLE® kids struck the right chord at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts during the Spring Into SCRABBLE® tournament, sponsored by Parkway Corp.

	Marciene Mattleman - ASAP's President & Founder ASAP's president, Marciene Mattleman, Ed.D., has been the founder and executive director of five non-profit initiatives, one of which - Philadelphia Futures - was honored at the White House by President Clinton. She is a board member of several non-profit organizations, and in May 2008, she received the Philadelphia Award, the city's highest civic honor, recognizing her lifelong tireless work to improve the quality of life and education for Philadelphia's youth.
A little time makes a big difference!