Alabama Chess in Schools Initiative

The Alabama Chess in Schools (ACIS) initiative was Chess in Schools‘ pilot program formulated in partnership with the Alabama State Department of Education. ACIS began in 2015 and concluded its fourth year in May 2019.

Created and directed by Chess in Schools, ACIS demonstrated a model of introducing chess in the classroom that can be replicated in any state-wide or local school system. The Chess in Education research report based on this project demonstrates the value of chess as an educational tool. Its field-tested approach to training teachers shows that such a program can be introduced in locations with limited access to an existing chess community. The report is titled “Teaching with Chess: Exploring the Relationship between Chess and Student Learning Outcomes”.

Chess.com published a summary of the ACIS research.