Sunny Hill School Students shine in Uganda

The Margo Clark Innovation Center established by Chess Without Borders in memory of a cherished volunteer, Margo Clark, has perpetuated the spirit of service through student volunteers. They are creating amazing projects that bring honor and excitement to communities here and abroad. The center serves as a catalyst empowering students to think, organize and implement projects that will help others. Students are reaching out and making a difference in many parts of the world through their initiative.

An example of such leadership can be found in Divine Mugerwa and Danila Ssenyomo, students at Sunny Hill Elementary School. Last year thanks to the sponsorship of Ascension Health System and Exelon, Sunny Hill hosted a chess club run by Chess Without Borders. Both Danila and Divine were serious students at the chess club. This summer when they visited Kampala in Uganda they brought their learning to their neighborhood. They carried chess sets and textbooks with them and held informal chess classes from their home in Uganda. Both students dedicated their time, energy, skill and initiative to teach chess to children.

The chess lessons were taught from the textbook, Chess! Lessons from a Grandmaster written by GM Shulman and Rishi Sethi. The book is written for beginners but with each subsequent chapter the student can advance their understanding of the game and reach the next level.

Sunny Hill Chess Club and Chess Without Borders are delighted to support the initiative, spirit and enterprise of students like Danila and Divine. Through their generous donation of time and learning they create opportunities for themselves and others. Divine said, “I was able to make so many friends through teaching”. Danila said, I realized how cool it was to share what I learned about chess with other children who were so excited to come over and learn from us.”

For their time and effort Divine and Danila will receive a Presidential Service Award for the outstanding effort they made in sharing their learning with others.

Watch out for more unique volunteer projects through the Margo Clark Innovation Center. Seven-year-old Sienna Sulkin will be the host for the next Chess Without Borders tournament raising funds for the victims of the Guatemalan Volcano. Sienna’s grandmother lives in Guatemala, giving her a unique opportunity to understand and share her ideas about the suffering caused by the Volcano that erupted recently in Guatemala.