The DeKalb County Virtual Village 2.0, “Keeping Children Safe During a Global Pandemic,” has announced that Orrin Hudson, founder and creative director of the Stone Mountain-based nonprofit Be Someone Inc., will soon be presenting a series of 10 virtual chess classes for county youth ages 8 to 18.
The classes will be one hour long and will be taught Saturdays, 11 a.m. to noon starting Oct. 10. The free program will culminate Dec. 12 with a chess tournament followed by an awards program.
What makes Hudson’s program unique is that while teaching the younger generation to play chess he is using the game’s principles to also teach life lessons that are so important to young people today.
For example, Hudson stresses there is a consequence for every move we make, whether it is on the chess board or in life. He teaches young people to think ahead before they act. One of his key motivational messages stresses the importance of education and responsible behavior: “Pants up, head up, grades up, never give up.”
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Sandra Petgrave is a DeKalb County mother of six children. Her three boys attended the “Keeping Children Safe” chess program this summer and she was completely satisfied. “Mr. Hudson mentored my three sons,” she said, “and taught them valuable life skills all while learning the game of chess.”
The chess champion, using his Be Someone program since 2000, has taught more than 77,000 young people, many of them at-risk youngsters, that by using their God-given minds, they can be achievers and givers, not takers in their lives. To learn more about Hudson and Be Someone Inc., visit the organization’s web page at www.besomeone.org.
Hudson explained this 10 week program is a national model “to create peace, positivity, purpose and potential.” The classes are limited to 100 participants and seats will be awarded on a first-come basis. Participants must have access to a computer and an internet connection. To register visit: https://dekalboys.org/chess-class/