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Jones Leadership Academy Chess Club Making Big Moves
By Christopher Smith,
Mentor, Books 4 Buddies
Special to The Truth
Kings and Queens are doing
big things at the Jones Leadership Academy. You’ll also
find Bishops, Knights, Rooks and Pawns making moves there
too.
The Jones Leadership
Academy Chess Club has distinguished itself as one of the
area’s best. Under the watchful eyes of Warren and Yolanda
Woodberry, of the Woodberry Park organization, the Mustangs
have won first place in the team championship for Toledo
Public Schools Chess Tournaments twice and have won second
place in area-wide competitions seven times, even besting
schools with suburban addresses!
But spend a few minutes
with the Woodberrys and you’ll realize that these club
members are being influenced beyond chess, they’re being
equipped for the game of life. “We put limits on kids”,
Warren Woodberry says, “but these kids place no limits on
themselves, you follow me?” Yes sir, we do.
And it’s obvious that the
goal is to inspire when you pan around the room that is the
chess club. It’s not the usual, drab, classroom space with
its standard equipment: world map, “We the People” poster
and George Washington portrait.
This classroom is fully
loaded, it’s alive, it’s breathing, it’s inspiring! It draws
you in as you survey, tucked in every space, the Woodberrys’
personal artwork. They’ve generously used all colors in the
64 count Crayola box at least twice. The room is filled to
the brim, but it’s not cluttered. Everywhere you look,
there’s movement, but it’s not distracting. There are also
sayings, posters of African-American achievers and even
National Geographic books, all used to inspire.
Oh, yes, and there are
numerous chess boards and clocks, neatly planted throughout
the room. Some beginners playing here, others trying to
master a certain move there, while still others battle for
the right to be labeled the next Maurice Ashley. All of
them are learning while soft music provides the roof over
their heads. “In here we play smooth jazz,” boasts Yolanda
Woodberry, “they can play their music any time.”
What they can’t do any
time is access a proper library of chess books and DVD’s.
All of their success has come in spite of this glaring
deficiency.
But a group of community
leaders, led by Laneta Goings, president for Books 4
Buddies, a nonprofit literacy organization, met with Warren
Woodberry in his room, on September, 17, 2015, and agreed to
eliminate this library stalemate. Others present included
Ward Barnett, Ed.D, principal of Jones Leadership Academy,
Christine Smallman, Ph.D; Newspaper-in-Education coordinator
at The Blade; Christopher Smith, mentor, Books 4 Buddies and
the Revs. Karen Garner, Barbie Harrison and Talmadge Thomas.
Soon the Woodberrys will
have to find room for 36 new books. “These will allow for a
deeper understanding and appreciation for the game of
chess……the sky is the limit for these young students”, said
Warren Woodberry.
Under the tutelage of the
Woodberrys, an inspiring learning venue and help from their
“village”, as Goings is known to say, yes the sky is the
limit.
These young Kings and
Queens are making all the right moves. They can’t lose.
Checkmate!
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