It’s July, but we are saturated with fantastic memories of June.
Does this mean July is going to be any less? Certainly not! In fact, we are excited about what is to come.
June was an amazing month for us at Promoting Queens. And did we indeed empower and promote Queens? Yes, we did.
Flow with us; in this blog, we’ll tell you all we’ve accomplished, what we have learned, and how we plan on improving moving forward.
You may wonder, ‘What is Promoting Queens, and what is the foundation all about’?
Let’s start where it all began.
The genesis
It all started with the vision of Nigerian Woman chess Fide Master, Perpetual Ogbiyoyo – a profound chess lover and humanitarian who believes that women and girls can have breakthroughs in a male-dominated chess world.
Perpetual’s chess journey is nothing short of remarkable. She is a two-time Nigerian national champion and has represented Nigeria at the chess Olympiads and African Games, leaving an indelible mark on the international chess scene.
Amidst the accolades and triumphs, Perpetual experienced firsthand the challenges and biases faced by women in the chess world. However, her passion for the game and her firm belief in women’s empowerment propelled her to take action.
Fueled by her experiences, Perpetual Ogbiyoyo founded the Promoting Queens chess Foundation with a grand vision in mind – to empower women through chess and break the barriers that hinder their progress.
Perpetual and her trusty team set out to create an inclusive chess environment for women by empowering them through chess.
Now, back to June!
The one-month free online Chess program
With a vision to empower women through chess, Promoting Queens launched a one-month free online chess training program for women.
As you may know, chess is an intellectually stimulating and strategic game. It can help women gain confidence, problem-solving skills, and leadership abilities that will benefit them not only on the chessboard but also in their personal and professional lives.
Now let’s get to the interesting bit.
How it went
The free chess lessons commenced on June 1st, 2023. The program welcomed approximately 100 women/girls eager to embark on a transformative chess journey.
Spanning over one month, the online program proved to be a dynamic and engaging experience for all participants, allowing them to develop their chess skills and explore the practical applications of chess in various aspects of life.
Here are some snippets from the online training:
- The program consisted of five weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes each.
- It covered fundamental chess concepts, strategies, and their real-life applications.
- It was meticulously designed for beginners.
- WFM Perpetual and other experienced female players led the sessions.
- We fostered an interactive and supportive learning environment, creating an empowered community of women in chess.
All of these were to ensure we built a network of empowered women in chess. After one month of dedication and determination, we proudly look back on the incredible journey and its far-reaching effects.
What we learned
Throughout the one-month program, we gained valuable insights and identified areas for improvement.
We learned that having a personalised teaching approach, a practical application of chess, and an engaging online community would be beneficial to the students.
We also learned that having regular evaluation and feedback sessions was valuable in identifying areas for improvement. Therefore, some of our plans for improvements include:
- Individualised learning: We’d further personalise the program based on participants’ unique needs.
- Practical exercises: We’d Incorporate more practical exercises and case studies for direct application.
- Extended mentorship: We’d establish a more extensive mentorship program beyond the training duration.
- Enhanced online community: We’d Improve our digital platforms for more interactive discussions and connections.
- Comprehensive feedback system: We’d Implement a feedback system to gather insights for continuous improvement.
We’ll keep upping the ante and implement these key points.
What’s next?
We are excited about the future! Promoting Queens has so many more exciting projects to come. Both physical and online sessions.
These projects will focus on creating chess awareness for younger women as well as empowering them with the tools required to succeed in life.
Just know that we won’t stop. Be a part of our story. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter to stay updated on our women-empowerment journey