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Home of Chess in Copenhagen
Mikkel Nørgaard is the Chief Studying Officer for Dansk Skoleskak (Danish Faculty Chess), which lately opened a mind fitness center in Denmark. I met Nørgaard on the 2023 London Chess Convention, the place I offered about science crew initiatives such because the Chessable Analysis Awards, https://www.chessable.com/research_awards.
For a video of Chessable Science Mission Supervisor Karel van Delft interviewing Nørgaard in London:London Chess Convention 2023 interview Mikkel Nørgaard
In February of 2024, Van Delft performed a Zoom interview with Nørgaard.
Interview Mikkel Nørgaard about Dansk Skoleskak by Karel van Delft
Dansk Skoleskak (Danish Faculty Chess) opened the Home of Chess – the mind fitness center in Copenhagen. Due to some huge sponsors, this 750 sq. meter constructing, which prices about 4 million euros, has chess for everyone. Some initiatives are extra educating by way of chess in colleges and creating new educating strategies for particular wants teams. Dansk Skoleskak expands. “Chess is a powerful device for educating and serving to individuals socially and mentally,” Chief Studying Officer Mikkel Nørgaard says.
Dansk Skoleskak is a non-profit organisation that works to get extra kids and younger individuals to succeed academically, socially and mentally, in order that extra individuals have a lifetime of studying and schooling.
The organisation has existed since 1960, says Nørgaard. “It was based by academics with the aim of utilizing chess as a device to stimulate schooling, social relations, and private improvement. So it’s extra concerning the results than the sport itself.” In the intervening time the workers consists of 18 individuals of which just a few are part-time.
The organisation is supported by the Danish authorities and sells educating and training initiatives to municipalities and colleges. In the intervening time each third college in Denmark is a member college, about 550 in complete. In Denmark colleges have 9 grades, which suggests pupils from age 7 till 16.
A 3rd of the 550 colleges use chess as a scientific device to reinforce studying capabilities and social relationships. There are particular studying targets concerned, for instance combining maths with chess and stimulating social capabilities. Moreover there may be additionally a program for preschoolers (age 4-6 years) the place for instance minigames are used. This system is described on the positioning https://skoleskak.dk/laeringskoncepter.
Educating Supplies and Actions
Dansk Skoleskak supplies educating materials (on-line GAMBIT® platform by way of web site https://skoleskak.dk/gambit) to high school academics . Dansk Skoleskak trains academics just a few days every year. In the course of the course academics study for instance to work on the scholars’ calmness and focus by means of the educational program “Be taught Chess With Duffy!” (Duffy is a chess mascot).
Dansk Skoleskak affords PLAYMASTER® programs for college students from grades 5 to 9. The course turns the members into cool assistant college chess academics, who can help on the Faculty Chess Day and may prepare break-time chess actions at their very own colleges. In the course of the course, members apply speaking with one another and with an introductory lesson.
In 2018 Dansk Skoleskak launched a brand new technique for colleges to make use of chess for particular wants schooling, named Skoleskak For Alle (Scholastic chess for everybody). On this technique consultants of Dansk Skoleskak go to the college to educate the academics and the academics obtain coaching for two – 3 entire days initially of this system.
This system “The Mind within the Curriculum” was launched for lessons of particular wants teams in 2021 and takes the methodology from Skoleskak for alle additional.
This system is utilized in lessons with quite a lot of particular wants equivalent to ADHD, autism, studying issues, social and psychological issues.
This system particularly targets consciousness of psychological well being and what may be finished to stimulate psychological well being. Components are neighborhood, fellowship, planning forward, social circumstances but in addition considering instruments like metacognition, studying to replicate, crucial considering.
For creating educating materials all types of sources had been used, for instance the booklet Considering Strikes, Metacognition Made Easy by Roger Sutcliffe. “However far more might be finished,” Nørgaard says. “I’ve the sensation we solely scratched the floor of what’s attainable. We need to develop extra insights and materials. However the issue is time, it’s at all times about time. However we’ve come a good distance and the outcomes are very promising.” A pattern lesson from the programme may be considered right here.
Dansk Skoleskak invited 49 colleges with kids and younger individuals in particular lessons from 2021 to 2024, with the help of the Obelske Familiefond, to take part within the studying effort the Mind within the Curriculum (HPS – Hjernen På Skemaet®). HPS makes use of college chess and play-based studying to develop college students’ psychological well being and lift consciousness of why it is vital. HPS builds on experiences from the SKAK+MAT® studying program and SFA – Skoleskak For Alle® aimed toward college students with ADHD, autism and basic studying difficulties.
A number of publications supply insights within the mission, see https://skoleskak.dk/hjernen-paa-skemaet
Analysis organisation Epinion has evaluated the mission. Conclusions are:
– HPS is an efficient device that has led to optimistic adjustments amongst lots of the college students who participated within the effort.
– 76 p.c of academics’ solutions point out that HPS has helped change college students’ perceptions of what they will do.
– HPS creates profitable experiences for numerous college students and may be simply tailored to the extent of the person pupil.
The report may be downloaded by way of https://skoleskak.dk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Dansk-Skoleskak-Hjernen-paa-skemaet-Slutrapport-Endelig.pdf
There are some pitfalls with such qualitative analysis, Nørgaard says. “In three years youngsters become old, some drop out, so pure quantitative measurement of results is hard. That’s why private evaluations by academics, dad and mom, college students and consultants may give a good suggestion concerning the results of this system.”
Dansk Skoleskak cooperates additionally with organisations for particular wants teams. They made for instance a particular difficulty about chess and autism with the Danish organisation Landsforeningen Autisme (a nationwide NGO that works for the good thing about individuals with autism). It may be downloaded by way of https://www.autismeforeningen.dk/media/5138/autismebladet-2020-nr-4.pdf
Dansk Skoleskak has a variety of different actions. There may be an Annual Scholastic Chess Day (this 12 months it was on Friday 9th on 336 colleges with 56.124 members). It’s a kind of mind train day with social occasions. Dansk Skoleskak helps colleges with ideas, educating materials, and public relations. See https://skoleskak.dk/skolernes-skakdag. There was intensive media protection from newspapers and tv this 12 months – one of many huge nationwide networks made a big information section a couple of particular wants pupil who has benefited very a lot from scholastic chess. Anton is his identify, and due to scholastic chess he has left the particular wants class he was in. He’s now mainstreamed into common schooling lessons.
There are numerous chess championships, a studying competition, women’ actions, camps, and enormous occasions all through the nation. And Dansk Skoleskak has their very own chess store, skakshoppen.dk. On the positioning https://skoleskak.dk, educating materials, analysis and publications are all in Danish, though the knowledge may be understood by way of Google Translate.
Dansk Skoleskak has exchanged a lot data with previous members within the London Chess Conferences and contacts with different organisations too, for instance the Saint Louis Chess Membership. Dansk Skoleskak additionally exchanges concepts with the FIDE Schooling Fee usually. These worldwide contacts in addition to analysis and publications will likely be prolonged, Nørgaard says. “Faculty chess and related actions have a lot to supply for private improvement of youngsters, and in addition adults. Particularly for particular wants teams. The extra we work internationally collectively, the higher.”
Skakkens Hus – the mind fitness center
https://skoleskak.dk/skakkenshus
Opening of the Home of Chess, Skakkens Hus, is a big improvement. It’s meant to be a “Mind
Gymnasium,” the place everyone is welcome. Not solely college lessons, but in addition particularly individuals who can use social and emotional help, equivalent to lonely aged individuals and other people with psychological well being issues. Through actions and particular occasions Dansk Skoleskak needs to supply them a way of belonging, coping and considering expertise. “Everyone is welcome, there are particular hosts who will make individuals really feel at dwelling. Additionally they educate the foundations of chess or minigames.” Entrance is free. A sport and tradition of chess are inviting by themselves, you simply can are available in and play or watch a sport of chess. Or take part in some exercise. So individuals can develop new social networks. For change college students it might be alternative for attending to know Danish individuals. New initiatives will likely be developed, for instance with prisoners who can resocialize by way of volunteer initiatives. “We constantly consider our initiatives by analysis and interviews to enhance the standard and develop new initiatives,” says Nørgaard.
The thought to start out the home was conceived by Dansk Skoleskak Normal Secretary Mads Jacobsen nearly ten years in the past. It’s also Jacobson who has been the driving drive behind funding the home.
Some extra money for initiatives is within the pipeline, thanks additionally to ambassadors like Magnus Carlsen. Final September, for 3 days per week, some actions began, however a giant renovation will occur this 12 months 2024 and possibly the entire constructing will likely be prepared on the finish of the 12 months or early in 2025.
Skakkens Hus is promoted by way of Skakkenshus.dk. The initiative is likely to be prolonged by creating the identical sort of chess homes in different cities and cities in Denmark. In the intervening time, the home is promoted by two chess vans that go to colleges throughout Denmark.
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