PODER Academy Wins Northern Colorado Chess Tournament

The PODER Academy public charter school earned a first place team trophy at the Northern Colorado regional chess tournament in Fort Collins on Saturday December 13, 2014.

PODER Academy, located in Cheyenne is starting to gain a reputation as “the chess team to beat” in Wyoming and Colorado. Kyle Hayes, Chess Director, stated “Not only are we proud of another first place trophy, but we are proud of the 11 individual trophies that our students were able to earn. It’s amazing to think that three years ago these children didn’t even know what chess was, and now they are consistently winning tournaments.”

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-5th (growing a grade every year until K-8th) and are approximately 75% Free/Reduced Lunch, 50% Students of Color, and 15% English Language Learners.