Last week, Tony Ventrella reported on one south-end police officer’s innovative effort to prevent youth violence by teaching chess. From Seattle Channel:
Three years ago, Seattle Police Department Detective Denise “Cookie” Bouldin was looking for an activity that could be used to prevent youth violence in the Rainier Valley.
“I was going to do a basketball game with the kids playing the officers,” recalls Bouldin. The kids, however, were unenthusiastic about her idea. So she asked them for other suggestions, figuring they would say a pool party or a barbeque. Much to her surprise, the children suggested a chess tournament. She was reluctant but agreed. She picked the Rainier Beach library as the site for her tournament since that neighborhood had been wracked by violence.
Now Officer Cookie’s Chess Club is a huge ongoing success. Kids, parents and volunteers fill the library on Saturdays to play chess and learn non-violence. Detective Boudlin says, “I teach anti-violence to the kids showing them different ways that they can deal with situations and I relate them all to the chessboard. On the chessboard you have to look at all your surroundings. You have to look at protecting your king and taking one step at a time to see where you are going to go. What they have learned is that, in chess, one mistake can cause your king to tumble—as in real life, one mistake can cause your life to tumble. So the kids are learning consequences—consequences of your actions.”
Detective Bouldin says that chess is also building the children’s self esteem. She says that she always asks the children why they haven’t played chess before. A common answer is that they weren’t smart enough. After some basic instruction, they discover that they are smart enough to play chess.
Bouldin says, “Those same kids are coming up to me and saying, ‘Officer Cookie… I’m smart, I can play chess. I love this game. Thank you for having chess.’ That makes me so happy.”
Go here to watch the story.
Officer Cookie’s Chess Club hosted a popular station at the Rainier Valley Heritage Parade earlier this summer. Photo/do communications, inc.
Who to know, where to eat & what to do in one of America’s most diverse zip codes!
{ 7 comments }
Actually, I was the one who started the Chess Club at the Rainier Beach library when I worked there as a Teen services librarian. I asked Officier Cookie to co-sponser the event, I helped write the grant to the Police Foundation and recruited the young man who volunteered his services from Seattle Central Community College to teach the young patrons. I asked the young patrons what they wanted and they all said a chess club. I would appreciate the credit to be extended to the Rainier Beach library, Captain Les Liggins, the volunteer, who took two buses to get there every saturday for one year and purchased chess sets with his own money.
I would hope in the future Officier Cookie would give credit to all the folks involved.
Thank You
Wadiyah Nelson
Thanks for all your hard work for the children in the community, Mrs. Nelson. Unfortunately, don’t hold your breath on you closing wish.
See you on the streets.
Wadiyah,
This is a great program. Skip the anticipated pat on the back, give it to yourself because that’s all that really matters at the end of the day. Waiting for others to validate the value of your work is like waiting for permission to do good in the world.
Officer Cookie is well known to the residents in the Rainier Valley. She knows how to connect with the young people in the neighborhood. I agree with Scott…the point is that someone is doing something positive with youth on the South End.
Great job and thanks to all involved!
A BIG thanks to Wadiyah.
I, and many others here, are your pawns.
Play us well.
Are we old? Check, check.
A good match? Mate!
Cookie,
Thanks for those who wrote the kind words concerning my Urban Youth Chess Club. I thought I would give you a little background on the Urban Youth Chess Club. The chess club first started with me wanting to do something fun for our youth. I put together a basketball game where the youth played Seattle Police Officers. The game took place at Rainier Community Center. It was such a good basketball game with the youth being involved with the police in a positive manner. They saw the officers as being regular people just like themselves. At first the police was leading in points and when the officers became tired, this is when the youth got their second boost of wind. When the game was over the youth had won.
The following summer again I was looking for something fun for the youth. This was my way of getting them off the streets and giving them something else to do. I asked the youth if they wanted to have another basketball game against police officers. Most of the youth stated they didn’t want to play basketball and they weren’t just about basketball. When I asked for suggestions, most agreed they wanted to have a chess tournament. I was surprised because I thought they would suggest something like a swimming pool party or a dance. I agreed to have the chess tournament. I had the youth to sign up by giving me their names and telephone numbers so I would be able to call them once I found a location for the chess tournament. I contacted Van Asselt Community Center met and spoke with Joy Williams who was in charge of their summer youth program at the Charles Little Park. She thought the Chess tournament was a good ideal. Ms. Williams assisted me with getting a few chess sets from the Parks Department for us to use. Ms. Williams invited me to get more involved with her summer youth program. I started meeting once a week with her summer youth group, at Charles Little Park. The youth participated in the Officer Cookie’s Arts & Crafts Club. They also participated in the Officer Cookie’s Sudoku Club. There was also times when some of the teenagers would just want to talk to me about problems they were faced with in their neighborhoods, schools or homes. I became a trusted friend. Ms. Williams thought it would be good to have our chess tournament at the end of the summer, during their barbeque celebration.
We set up tables with chess boards and started the tournament. As the tournament went on I notice most of the youth were just standing around watching the few who were actually playing chess. In reality we had very few youth playing chess and several just wishing they knew how to play chess. We still had a good time, but I wanted to find a way for these kids to learn how to play chess, because this is what they requested and I had to find a way to make it happen.
With the help of Wadiyah, who no longer works for the library, I submitted a proposal for funding through the Seattle Police Foundation and gave a presentation to the board concerning funds to pay the chess instructor and additional cost for my urban youth chess club. After receiving funding for the chess club I made phone calls and passed out flyers to youth and parents. Wadiyah made flyers that were posted at the Rainier Beach Library. I truly thank everyone who assisted in any form or fashion to the urban youth chess club. Special thanks go out to the Rainier Beach Library for giving us the space. Also special thanks to all my chess instructors over the years. This is truly a community of loving hearts who have made it possible for our youth to have a safe fun place to go and chill out with others who have a common interest. They know the Rainier Beach Library is the place to go for a good game of Saturday chess and to check out some great books. The Rainier Beach Library’s staff is outstanding. It is because of the love they give to the youth that we feel like family. I have invited library staff to give presentations to my chess club concerning the library’s reading program, which most of my chess youth now participate. I encourage my chess club members to get library cards and after chess to go check out books. The Rainier Beach Library’s staff has made it possible for the library to get additional chess books for the youth to check out and read. I also have chess at the Rainier Vista Boys and Girls Club.
Again, I want to thank the community because you are one of the reasons the urban youth chess club’s members feel special. Just recently some of the youth stated they feel like celebrities.
Comments on this entry are closed.