Bill Gates and Warren Buffett Create Youth Bridge Program  

Microsoft chairman and bridge enthusiast, Bill Gates, along with Berkshire Hathaway founder, Warren Buffett, have pledged $1 million in support of creating a youth bridge program. The School Bridge League (division of The League) is bringing back the brain-building game of bridge – by taking it to school.
“The game of bridge is full of strategy and tactics,” says Mickie Rinehart, Director of Operations, The League. “It is part science, math, logic, reason, and all fun. Bridge builds bridges, as it embodies cooperation and team problem solving – and is linked to higher test scores.”
According to a study by Dr. Christopher Shaw, board member for the ACBL Education Foundation, students who played bridge scored higher on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills than their non-bridge playing counterparts after 20 months and again after 32 months. What’s more, they scored higher in all five subject areas (reading, language, math, science, social studies).
In 2005, a new youth-service organization called, The League, was creating a web and school-based system for empowering kids to give back to their communities. After hearing about Gates’ and Buffett’s interest in youth bridge, The League reached out and a partnership was formed.
Today, the School Bridge League is up and running. “Bridge in a Box” learning kit, and lesson plans (coded to state educational standards) are helping teachers integrate the game into their existing curriculum. A network of bridge enthusiasts and community groups to help teach the game is also under development.
This month, the School Bridge League takes its program national. “The game of bridge gives us yet another way to reach kids and help them develop the very skills they need to succeed in school and in life,” says Rinehart. The School Bridge League is a division of The League – formed to empower young people to “get in the game” of giving. It is open to every school nationwide and is free and simple to join. To find out more, visit ww.schoolbridgeleague.org or www.theleague.org.

— Teachers of Color