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| 17 Sep 2026 | |
| Written by Enrique Piedra | |
| Teachers' Voices |
2026 has been a very special year for us because it has been the Year of Chess in Education. Receiving the FIDE Gold School Award has been very meaningful, not only to me, but to our entire school community. For me, this recognition goes beyond results and trophies. It represents years of using chess as an educational tool to help students think, make decisions, build confidence, and grow as people.
At Citrus Grove in Miami, Educational Chess has become another way for students to learn. They are not only learning openings, tactics, and strategies, but also patience, responsibility, problem-solving, and how to think before they act. One of the most important parts of my work has been connecting chess with other subjects such as mathematics, Spanish, history, art, and robotics. I want students to see that learning does not have to stay inside one subject and that chess can help connect ideas in a natural way.
Our program continues to grow through our morning activities, our middle school class, and the competitive side of chess. Some students come because they love chess and want to compete, while others come because they want a new challenge, want to learn something different, or simply want a place where they feel comfortable. The FIDE Gold School Award and the FIDE Schools Excellence Award are very special recognitions, but what matters most to me is what they represent: students learning, competing, improving, and discovering that chess is much more than a game.
