Advancement of Science through Social Entrepreneurship

Students who became deeply engaged in social entrepreneurship developed a scientific framework for advancing complex educational goals and perhaps working on long term goals of preventing dementia.

According to the study about Superagers,?recently published?in The Lancet Healthy Longevity Journal,?which followed 64 SuperAgers and 55 cognitively normal older adults part of the Vallecas Project, a long-term research project on Alzheimer’s in Madrid,

"SuperAgers are also social butterflies, surrounded by family and friends, and can often be found volunteering in the community." https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(23)00079-X/fulltext

Webster's?Dictionary defines science as "knowledge attained through study or practice."

Since the inception of the chess program in 2000 there was an enormous reliance on youth social entrepreneurship mostly out of necessity. The reasons were practical, such as there was hardly anyone playing chess and paradoxically as the program grew, children were learning chess faster than the parent volunteers. So the burden of advancing the program fell on the shoulders of the new chess students. Ironically the students responded enthusiastically to their own expectations and were driven to succeed through their own free will. In simple terms students developed scientific literacy through a process of exploration and discovery. The public schools in Barrington IL wholeheartedly embraced this open ended learning system that 20 years later has impacted hundreds of lives through learning chess and service and through raising over $220,000 for local and global charities.

The program has inadvertently sought to place emphasis on enhancing scientific literacy through appreciation of the nature of projects it raises funds for, the development of personal talents and the acquisition of socioscientific skills and values. This process was inadvertent because initially the students did not realise how they relied on scientific principles to advance. However over the years the evolution of the chess program used the framework of scientific principles such as creating a concept, experimentation, implementation and understanding the impact. All the while working with a team to accomplish objectives and deploying technological and artistic skills to reach a goal.

According to Wikipedia "Learning sciences (LS) is an interdisciplinary field that works to further scientific, humanistic, and critical theoretical understanding of?learning?as well as to engage in the design and implementation of learning innovations, and the improvement of instructional methodologies. LS research traditionally focuses on cognitive-psychological, social-psychological, cultural-psychological and critical theoretical foundations of human?learning, as well as practical design of learning environments".

Recently the program demonstrates how a diverse group of people of all ages and backgrounds came together to explore innovative methods to support local volunteers who traveled to South Korea on a mission trip. A community member asked for help to raise funds for 15 people traveling on this trip. The 7 youth volunteers rallied round to host a chess tournament, a dinner and sold spices to raise $2500 towards this mission. The students acquired historical and cultural knowledge about the Korean war and its aftermath. Volunteer?Sara Edwards?whose father fought in the war came to the chess tournament in May where the 13 year old?Varun Dhanasekaran?said, "I did not know about this war till we started raising funds". Youth volunteers?Paari and Varun Dhanasekaran, Dimitri Diyadawagamage, Srinivas Jagannath, Sofia Genega and?Anthony Zhu?worked hard to accomplish goals. Anthony even brought another high school friend,?Enli Lin?to the event to learn and assist the other students. As students share enthusiasm other youth are inspired to join them through their example.?Joel Dennis, an 11 year-old origami expert displayed his artwork at the dinner introducing the crowd to a new art form.

Since the inception of the chess program in 2000 there was an enormous reliance on youth social entrepreneurship mostly out of necessity. The reasons were practical, such as there was hardly anyone playing chess and paradoxically as the program grew, children were learning chess faster than the parent volunteers. So the burden of advancing the program fell on the shoulders of the new chess students. Ironically the students responded enthusiastically to their own expectations and were driven to succeed through their own free will. In simple terms students developed scientific literacy through a process of exploration and discovery. The public schools in Barrington IL wholeheartedly embraced this open ended learning system that 20 years later has impacted hundreds of lives through learning chess and service and through raising over $220,000 for local and global charities.

The program has inadvertently sought to place emphasis on enhancing scientific literacy through appreciation of the nature of projects it raises funds for, the development of personal talents and the acquisition of socioscientific skills and values. This process was inadvertent because initially the students did not realise how they relied on scientific principles to advance. However over the years the evolution of the chess program used the framework of scientific principles such as creating a concept, experimentation, implementation and understanding the impact. All the while working with a team to accomplish objectives and deploying technological and artistic skills to reach a goal.

According to Wikipedia "Learning sciences (LS) is an interdisciplinary field that works to further scientific, humanistic, and critical theoretical understanding of?learning?as well as to engage in the design and implementation of learning innovations, and the improvement of instructional methodologies. LS research traditionally focuses on cognitive-psychological, social-psychological, cultural-psychological and critical theoretical foundations of human?learning, as well as practical design of learning environments".

Recently the program demonstrates how a diverse group of people of all ages and backgrounds came together to explore innovative methods to support local volunteers who traveled to South Korea on a mission trip. A community member asked for help to raise funds for 15 people traveling on this trip. The 7 youth volunteers rallied round to host a chess tournament, a dinner and sold spices to raise $2000 towards this mission. The students acquired historical and cultural knowledge about the Korean war and its aftermath. Volunteer?Sara Edwards?whose father fought in the war came to the chess tournament in May where the 13 year old?Varun Dhanasekaran?said, "I did not know about this war till we started raising funds". Youth volunteers?Paari and Varun Dhanasekaran, Dimitri Diyadawagamage, Srinivas Jagannath, Sofia Genega and?Anthony Zhu?worked hard to accomplish goals. Anthony even brought another high school friend,?Enli Lin?to the event to learn and assist the other students. As students share enthusiasm other youth are inspired to join them through their example.?Joel Dennis, an 11 year-old origami expert displayed his artwork at the dinner introducing the crowd to a new art form.

Chess Without Borders also inspired 16 year old?Johnny Dawson?from New York to open a chapter where he volunteers as a chess teacher at Shelter Island. All the funds he raises will benefit a cancer charity and Ukrainian immigrants arriving in Poland.

An incidental follow up of some of the committed youth volunteers from the last 20 years interestingly revealed that many of them started their own businesses and/or continued with their entrepreneurship through their lives.

The impact of youth entrepreneurship has touched the lives of both givers and receivers but the most heartwarming impact has been on a little girl named?Meher Hussain. She was a 4 year old disfigured girl caught in a fire with little use of her hands but thanks to the support of the chess program Meher is an 18 year old educated girl. Chess Without Borders financially supported her plastic surgery and education till she completed high school.

Chess Without Borders and its volunteers have won many awards for their unique combination of services. Visit:?https://shulmanchess.com/biogr...Please consider joining the program in any capacity. There will always be room for ideas, experiments, people and charities.

School District 220 supported an unusual experiment by becoming a crucible of change?that transformed a community making it fashionable to serve and enjoy friendships crossing all socioeconomic and geographic boundaries.

“To dream the impossible dream, that is my quest.” ―

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote

Dr Kiran Frey