Goal of the SCSCF (Space City Scholastic Chess Fund)

Foster the chess competition spirit of scholastic youth from families of low income households in Texas.

What to Expect

The SCSC Fund currently can support for the sponsorship of up to 5 rated tournaments each for 10 kids. We would like to sponsor one kid who is age 6, one who is age 7, and so on up to age 15. This will be dependent however on the applicants received. Funds will be provided directly to tournament organizers for each event the child is able to attend (up to 5 tournaments in total with a maximum EF of $40 each). Parents/Guardians will be responsible for costs incurred to acquire a USCF membership for the child.

How to Apply

Make sure your child is eligible by reviewing the checklist below. If eligible, submit your details through the registration form and follow any other additional instructions as noted. Our anonymous donor(s) in conjunction with The Chess Refinery will be hand selecting kids out of the applications received based on eligibility and a review of all handwritten statements by the children.

Eligibility Requirements

• must be between ages 6 - 15 years old
• must be attending a Title One funded school
• must be either unrated or have no more than 3 rated over-the-board tournaments in their playing history upon the date of application submission

Application Essay

Please have your child handwrite a statement (minimum 10 words - maximum 100 words) indicating why he/she wants to participate in this program and what his/her chess goals are. Please be concise but give us a clear picture of why you should be chosen. Either scan or take a picture of this statement and email it "thechessrefinery@gmail.com" using the same email you provide in the application form below. For the subject line, put "SCSCF Statement Submission for XXX YYY".  <<<<<<Put your child's full name in place of "XXX YYY".>>>>>>

Submission Deadline

We will be taking submissions for the program up until January 31, 2023. Announcements of the winning participants will be made shortly afterwards. These dates are subject to change upon further notice. We also retain the option of selecting participants at any time upon receipt of a compelling application.