Raising Social Entrepreneurs
In 1998 after Rishi Sethi, a student in 3rd grade at Grove Avenue Elementary School in Barrington Illinois won a chess tournament he was encouraged by his Principal, Dr Cindy Kalogeropoulos to start a chess club at his school. No one played chess in the area but with the support of his public school he began a grassroots movement to introduce chess. Since its inception the Barrington chess club was run by youth who were learning a teaching chess with the assistance of adult volunteers. The club was remarkably successful and soon other schools in the area began chess clubs on their own. The chess students advanced in their knowledge and their ability to sustain the program through volunteering. All the chess club dues was donated to charities decided by students. Dr Kiran Frey, the mother of the founder Rishi Sethi supervised the program reluctantly at first as the Principal of Grove Avenue School felt that the children were too young to handle the finances of the club especially as the population of the club was growing rapidly.
In 2007 as Rishi Sethi was leaving for college he invited Grandmaster Yury Shulman to take over the thriving non profit chess program. In 2008 GM Shulman became the US Chess Champion and before Rishi Sethi left for college he co-authored a textbook with GM Shulman, Chess lessons from a Grandmaster.
The program has taught chess to hundreds of students, tied for 1st place at the Illinois State Chess Tournament, the Barrington High School Chess Team tied for 4th place at the National Chess Tournament and many students have excelled at chess individually. The program has also won many awards for its humanitarian work. Through hosting chess events and tournaments it has donated over $250,000 to local and global charities. (The chess program raised $221, 000 and the Peter Wulff Center continues the legacy of service learning through donating $30,000 to establish the center bringing the total funds donated to $250,000. All the funds from Peter Wulff’s funeral donations were matched by an anonymous donor).
These donations were possible because of youth and adult wide ranging service projects. Student Service Leaders have been invited to the UN Youth Assembly in New York on the basis of their humanitarian work and 5 students even traveled to the slum in India with their parents to teach children at the computer center established by Chess Without Borders) 100 student leaders have won the Presidential Youth Volunteering Awards from the White House.
Many of these student service learners have gone to prestigious colleges and some have successfully started their own businesses. In Spite of their success they relish at any opportunity to volunteer. Some of them are on the Youth Advisory Board of the Peter Wulff Center.
In 2016 the chess program was recognised for raising youth social entrepreneurs by the Points of Light Foundation. The children who were interviewed for the award and they shared some unique reasons for their motivations.
Currently 11 year old Jack Weed continues the tradition of serving as a Youth Leader at the Peter Wulff Center by sponsoring a variety of projects.
Zein Bertacchi who has mentored youth and brought middle eastern dishes for selling at chess tournaments won the elite Points of Light Award for the creative and inspirational work with youth in 2022.
Dr Kiran Frey won the prestigious Points of Light Award from the White House for her work with youth in 2023.
The Barrington community and school district 220 is crucial for nurturing and supporting the enthusiasm generated by these young minds as they embark on social entrepreneurial ventures to improve the lives of others and raise their self esteem.
For learning how children transformed themselves into leaders you can read a short ibook here.
If you or anyone you know would like to join us please email at peterwulffcenter@gmail.com
