The PODER Academy Dominates in Northern Colorado Chess Tournament

The newly created PODER Academy public charter school earned numerous trophies in the Fort Collins Chess Mates Scholastic Chess Series Tournament on Saturday, October 12, 2013.

The PODER Academy had students place in 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th place in their various age divisions. The school from Cheyenne, Wyoming had to compete against 124 other students from the Northern Colorado area, with the majority of competing schools being defined as middle class/affluent schools. Kyle Hayes, Chess Director, stated “I am proud of our students, as most of them have only been playing chess for less than a year, and now they are already winning tournaments. This shows that hard work, dedication, and practice does pay off.”

The PODER Academy’s mission is to prepare students for college and beyond through rigorous academic and athletic programs. The school’s demographics are K-4th (growing a grade every year until K-8th) and are approximately 80% Free/Reduced Lunch, 50% Students of Color, and 15% English Language Learners.