Chess meets STEM and social-emotional learning: classroom-ready approaches for mathematics, science, language and critical thinking — led by international chess-in-education specialists.
Exact time to be announced
How chess can be integrated into school subjects to enrich learning: real classroom examples and interactive activities showing how chess supports mathematics, science, language, social-emotional learning and critical thinking — with ready-to-use practices and interdisciplinary lesson ideas.
Interim Executive Director, National Scholastic Chess Foundation (NSCF)
Robert McLellan has nearly 40 years of experience in entertainment, marketing, and educational programming, with the last 15 years dedicated to advancing chess in education and community development.
He is the Executive Producer of Brooklyn Castle, the award-winning documentary that received the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival. Following the film's success, he worked with the US Chess Federation for two years to expand scholastic chess initiatives.
For more than a decade, Robert has served the National Scholastic Chess Foundation alongside its founding director, FM Sunil Weeramantry. He co-authored Great Moves: Learning Chess Through History, an innovative middle school textbook that uses chess to teach world history, critical thinking, and literacy. Throughout his career, he has trained more than 650 educators to introduce chess into classrooms and has developed community chess programs across New York and Florida.
Most recently, Robert co-produced the Mindsets: Chess in Education conference in New York City, organized by the National Scholastic Chess Foundation in partnership with the Kasparov Chess Foundation.
Medical Doctor · Woman FIDE Master · Chess Educator
Dr. Amelia Hernandez is a Woman FIDE Master (WFM), physician, and chess educator from Valencia, Venezuela, whose career combines excellence in competitive chess, medicine, and education.
She is a five-time Venezuelan Women's Chess Champion, six-time U-20 Girls National Champion, U-14 Girls National Champion, Florida Women's State Champion, and Pan-American Girls Cadets Champion. Internationally, she earned third place at the World Junior Girls Championship, fifth place at the World U-16 Girls Championship, and won the gold medal on Board 3 at the 1994 Chess Olympiad in Moscow.
A medical doctor since 1996 and a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology since 2001, Dr. Hernandez has also served as a member of the FIDE Medical Commission since 2018. In 2024, she became a licensed Nurse Practitioner in the United States.
Since 2018, she has been actively involved in elementary chess education. As coach of Franklin Academy Charter School, she led the team to the Florida State Championship in 2021, demonstrating her commitment to developing young players through chess and education.
