Astronaut Chess Camp is a summer camp for girls aged 6 to 13 that builds critical thinking skills through chess and explores big ideas through space. Our goal is to inspire girls to become more confident using fun teachings from both on and off the earth.
We’re 100% online and can accommodate all levels of chess experience, from beginners to advanced. Every day, we’ll teach our campers new moves, learn about space, exercise like astronauts, and practice what we learned that morning in Girl Boss Chess’ Planet PLAYLAND!
Camp fee $295 (includes applicable taxes and processing fees)
Additional Details
CAMP WEEKS
August: August 8–12
CHESS BEGINNERS: If your child has never played chess or has been introduced to the game but is not certain how each piece moves, Chess Beginners is suited for her.
CHESS INTERMEDIATE: students should already have an understanding of how to move all the pieces on the board.
PLANET PLAYLAND! is a space where the girls put their learning into online play.
ASTRO-SIZE is a workout that astronauts do to prepare to go to the moon!
SCHEDULE
Chess Class: 9:00 am – 10:00 am
Astro-size workout and snack break: 10:00 am – 10:45 am
Space Science: 10:45 am – 11:45 am
Planet PLAYLAND!: 11:45 am – 12:30 pm
DESCRIPTION OF DAILY CLASSES
MONDAY:
Chess Beginners: Introduction to the board and the rook
Chess Intermediate: Introduction to pawn structures; isolated, backward and double
Space Science: The Solar System
TUESDAY:
Chess Beginners: Introduction to the bishop
Chess Intermediate: Pawn chains continued; connected and passed pawns
Space Science: Stars
WEDNESDAY:
Chess Beginners: Introduction to the queen and king
Chess Intermediate: Introduction to the Queen’s Gambit Opening
Space Science: Guest speaker - On this day, the students will have the opportunity to meet with a professional from the aerospace industry. She will speak about her experiences, education, career, and insight into the industry.
THURSDAY:
Chess Beginners: Introduction to the knight
Chess Intermediate: Checkmate; back rank and staircase
Space Science: Galaxies
FRIDAY:
Chess Beginners: Introduction to the pawn
Chess Intermediate: Checkmate; queen and king, king and rook checkmate
Space Science: Exoplanets & Extraterrestrials
Meet The Space Science Team
Yashita Singh
Yashita is an Astronautics Engineer. She has worked in the Indian space industry, as a Space Systems researcher for two years. She also loves to spend her time focusing on fitness and wellness. She is trained in yoga (asanas and breath-work) and is a professionally trained dancer, who has worked with some of the best dance choreographers in Bollywood.
Joann Jones
Joann is a student at Case Western Reserve University, double majoring in Physics and Astronomy. She loves the outdoors, music, working out, and astrophysics! Her love for astrophysics has been around since she was very young and questioning everything, so she is so happy to be pursuing her dreams.
This past summer, she was researching astrophysics at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. She is also the Vice President of the Physics and Astronomy Club and the Women in Physics and Astronomy Club at university!
Athena Brensberger
Athena is the host of a new science show, 'Suppressed Science' streaming on CuriosityStream. Episodes are also released weekly on YouTube. She’s also been a correspondent on the Science Channel shows, 'What on Earth?' , 'Strange Evidence' and 'NASA’s Unexplained Files'.
Athena has the drive to uncover truths in our world. By taking a scientific approach to some of the world's biggest questions, she aims to create a more scientifically literate community of thinkers and explorers.
Stella Becker Queiroz
Stella is an experienced chess educator, who takes a friendly approach to teaching. Growing up in Brazil, Stella was a competitive chess player, who placed first in the São Paulo State Championship U18 and eighth in the Brazil Women’s National Championship. She went on to study marketing and to nurture her love of photography. After a year, she moved to Italy to pursue full-time her two passions: chess and photography. Stella has taught chess to people from countries including Brazil, Ireland, Australia, Italy, the United States and the UK.
Guest Speakers
Martina Lofqvist
Martina Lofqvist is a Swedish engineer and manager based in Switzerland. She works as the Senior Business Development Manager at Destinus, an aerospace company developing rocket airplanes fuelled by green hydrogen that will power the world's fastest and cleanest transportation system. She has a background in computer engineering and business with a decade of international experience with innovation projects. She has built satellites and rocket engines, worked closely with rocket launchers, and produced research in Earth observation and Artificial Intelligence. Her published research focused on satellite images and how to process the data directly in space to find different objects in those images. She is an active aerospace community member and networker, board advisor, and mentor. Her interests include space transportation, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship.
Shelli Brunswick
Shelli Brunswick brings a broad perspective and deep vision of the global space ecosystem — from a distinguished career as a space acquisition and program management leader and congressional liaison for the U.S. Air Force to her current role, including overseeing Center for Innovation and Education, Symposium 365, and Global Alliance.
As a leading role model for women in space, Brunswick was selected as the 2020 Diversity and Inclusion Officer and Role Model of the Year by WomenTech Network and a Woman of Influence by the Colorado Springs Business Journal.
In partnership with Space Science, Girl Boss Science is launching the Girl Boss Space Science program.
Space Science, established in 2020, is an organization that works to inspire, explore, and innovate the future of space sciences and provide educational resources to the public to welcome a new generation of future leaders.
In launching the Girl Boss Space Science program together, we are mutually dedicated to empowering and inspiring girls to become future scientists and leaders in STEM fields.
Girl Boss Science is a place where girls will be able to grow in confidence, as they learn and discover more about how the world around us and beyond works. Through interactive learning, exploration, experimentation, access to valuable resources and more, we are excited to be setting up and empowering the next generation of Girl Boss Space Scientists to boldly have an impact in the future.
Camp Registration
