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Bridge Education Status Report
(Management Report - Fall 2003)
2003 Goals and Updates
The main goals of the Education Department as established by the Board in 1986 are:
a. To perpetuate the game of bridge;
b. To train more bridge teachers and bring them into the profession.
A. TEACHER TRAINING & TEACHER/STUDENT SUPPORT GOALS
Note: We have no way of knowing how many beginning bridge students are taught by ACBL Accredited teachers from year to year. Our book sales are some indication but not accurate since many people and Districts buy in bulk to cut costs and some sales are made to non-accredited teachers.
1. To provide materials and information to teachers as needed.
A new set of school lesson plans
were developed.
A publicity kit has been developed.
E-mails are sent to teachers with update information.
The school promo packet has been upgraded.
2. To continue to offer NABC seminars that provide continuing education for teachers.
The Easybridge! Presenters Course (reinstated Summer 2003)
Better Bridge Certified Teacher Course (new Summer 2004)
Bridge Teachers and Bridge Cruises (all three NABCs)
Get Online with Bridge Base (all three NABCs)
Teaching Online (Spring/Summer)
TAP (all three NABCs)
Teaching in Schools (Summer/Fall)
3. To continue the publication and mailing of “The Bridge Teacher,” ACBL’s quarterly newsletter for teachers.
Two issues have been mailed and are available online.
The next issue will be mailed in November.
4. To get a better handle on who our teachers are.
Teachers have been asked to apply for an online listing (www.acbl.org, Find a Teacher) if they are currently offering lessons. The online application has given us a lot of new information about our teachers who are actively teaching.
A postcard mailing has gone out to the teachers asking them to let us know if they want to continue to receive Education mailings and to get additional information.
The online teacher/club manager survey was conducted.
5. To continue ACBL’s support of the American Bridge Teachers Association.
ACBL offered the ABTA Master Teachers honorary Star Teacher status and a place on the “Find-a-Teacher” section of the web site.
The Director of Education attended the summer convention, spoke to the teachers in attendance, and presented each with a Teaching Tips booklet.
The Director of Marketing addressed the convention.
The teacher newsletter advertises the ABTA Convention each year.
6. To upgrade the Teacher section of ACBL’s web site.
The Education Department is working with Oden Marketing on this project.
B. JUNIOR PROGRAM
1. To continue the publication and mailing of “The Grapevine,” ACBL’s newsletter for Junior players and one special edition for schools.
Three issues of the Grapevine were mailed in 2003 and the special 2003 edition for schools has been sent to all classes completing the lessons.
2. To promote the WBF Junior Camp and work with the Juniors who want to attend C providing chaperones for the ACBL Juniors.
Twenty-six ACBL Juniors attended the World Junior Pairs and Bridge Camp in Hungary this past summer.
3. To aggressively promote Junior Month and the ACBL Junior Fund Games to raise revenue for the Junior Program.
To date in 2003, the Junior Fund Games have raised $75,082.60 revenue in the US for junior programs. The money collected from Canadian Junior Fund Games is sent directly to the CBF.
4. To work with OKbridge to promote the Internet College Championship.
Thirteen teams entered the event last spring. This was the 7th Internet College Championship held on OKBridge.
5. To find a suitable location for the ACBL Bridge Camp in 2004.
Adelphi University in Long Island, NY was selected as the site for the 2004 Junior Bridge Camp. Camp dates are July 17 - 24.
B. JUNIOR TEAM INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
To make arrangements for the USBF’s two Junior teams to train and prepare for the WBF World Junior Team Championships.
USA 1 and USA 2 had several training sessions during the year as well as regular Saturday night training on OKBridge. Both teams participated in the 9th World Youth Team Championship outside of Paris, France. USA Team 2 won the bronze medal. USA Team 1 placed 13th out of 16 teams.
C. THE SCHOOL BRIDGE LESSON SERIES PROGRAM
1. To continue to work with teachers who have school bridge programs by helping them promote, organize, and conduct new bridge programs.
On a case by case basis, Charlotte Blaiss and Harley Bress work individually with the teachers who need help in approaching schools or in setting up lessons. These people need encouragement, advice and assistance and each situation seems to be different.
2. To offer a seminar at the NABCs for teachers who are interested in starting bridge classes in schools.
A School Bridge Seminar was held for teachers during the Long Beach NABC. Another seminar will be held in New Orleans with Kitty Cooper demonstrating one of the lessons from the new Lesson Plans for Schools.
3. To redesign and upgrade ACBL’s School Promo Packet.
The School Promo Packet has been updated and a new brochure was created.
4. To promote the new $5 Junior Student membership.
At the end of each school lesson program, the teacher is sent a packet of materials which include the school issue of “The Grapevine,” a letter to the parents of the students promoting ACBL membership, and membership applications. The new $5 student membership was passed after the 2003 issue of the school newsletter was printed and so this information will be in the 2004 issue. This information has also appeared in The Bulletin, the teacher newsletter, “The Grapevine” and the Junior Pages at the ACBL web site. There are 48 new Student Members so far this year.
5. To explore with Peg Cundiff the possibility of a program to train in-school teachers, with social bridge backgrounds, to teach the game.
Early in the year, Peg worked diligently to get schools in Las Vegas interested in this program. Bruce Keidan had started this ball rolling in 2002. Peg made many visits to follow up with the schools but ultimately was not able to get anyone to commit to a bridge program.
PROGRAM STATISTICS
TEACHER PROGRAMS
1999 2000 2001 2002 10/2003
TAPs 14 11 6* 11 7 (4 to go)
Graduates 219 173 136 211 134
Star Teachers 208 248 360 376 387
* This was the peak year for Easybridge!
Teacher Programs Summary: The ACBL promotes the TAP as the definitive course for people interested in teaching bridge. 5038 people have taken the TAP since 1986. We continue to support continuing education and offer at the NABCs two additional training courses for teachers: Easybridge! and Better Bridge.
Star Teachers: The Star Teacher Program was expanded this year to try to reflect online the teachers who are currently . TAP teachers can still send in the names of students and earn additional discounts on The ACBL Bridge Series books. That is the number recorded above.
All teachers can send in the names of 25 or more students and receive a Star at ACBL’s “Find-a-Teacher” site online. ABTA Master Teachers were awarded stars because of their status and were sent Star Teacher pins.
UNIT GROWTH PROGRAM
The UGS was created in 1998 and has been presented to the following units in the years indicated.
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 * 10/2003
# of UGS 1 8 6 5 1 8
Units/Dist. 178 137 138 112 147 446
103 203 165 D-3 451
123 112 115 180
222 217 D-14 214
149 D-22 D-19 110
108 431 167
160 153
448 238
386 144
171
* A UGS is scheduled for Orillia (Unit 246) in November and two are scheduled for 2004.
SCHOOL PROGRAM
S00 F00 * S01 F01 * S02 F02 * S03 F10/03
College 3 11 4 8 9 11 9 11
High 12 9 23 14 22 17 20 3
Middle 54 82 64 54 54 113 64 59
Elementary 8 27 10 9 19 30 27 28
For Credit 1 3 4 1
Total Classes 77 130 101 85 107 275 121 101
Graduates 583 2034 1280 1683 1910 3277 1943 2082
Totals 2000 2001 2002 10/2003
Classes 207 186 382 222
Graduates 2617 2963 5187 4025
EDUCATION LIAISONS
All units and Districts were asked by the ACBL Board to appoint Education Liaisons to work with the ACBL Education Department. Below are the numbers of appointed Liaisons.
1999 2000 2001 2002 10/2003
District 19 20 20 20 17
Unit 234 237 242 247 213
Donna Compton is working with this program. She hopes to get all Districts to appoint a DEL (District Education Liaison).
NUMBER OF JUNIORS ATTENDING CAMPS
1995 - Belgium - 50 ACBL Juniors
1996 - Marco Island - 85 ACBL & EBL Juniors
1997 - Italy - 37 ACBL Juniors
1998 - Wisconsin - 71 ACBL & EBL Juniors
1999 - Czech Republic - 21 ACBL Juniors
2000 - Claremont, CA - 60 ACBL & EBL Juniors
2001 - Poland - 26 ACBL Juniors
2002 - Frostburg,MD - 75 ACBL & EBL Juniors
2003 - Hungary - 26 ACBL Juniors
Youth & Junior Player Count by District |
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|
|
Paid Members |
|||||||
|
|
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
||||
|
|
Youths |
Juniors |
Youths |
Juniors |
Youths |
Juniors |
Youths |
Juniors |
|
1 |
97 |
106 |
14 |
23 |
7 |
17 |
9 |
19 |
|
2 |
22 |
42 |
11 |
24 |
10 |
24 |
5 |
18 |
|
3 |
13 |
19 |
15 |
23 |
22 |
29 |
28 |
37 |
|
4 |
16 |
31 |
19 |
33 |
17 |
33 |
14 |
34 |
|
5 |
11 |
22 |
7 |
17 |
10 |
23 |
9 |
22 |
|
6 |
22 |
35 |
12 |
34 |
18 |
44 |
33 |
56 |
|
7 |
27 |
49 |
30 |
46 |
35 |
55 |
34 |
64 |
|
8 |
5 |
22 |
9 |
23 |
6 |
23 |
7 |
21 |
|
9 |
15 |
19 |
8 |
19 |
20 |
34 |
20 |
33 |
|
10 |
10 |
17 |
15 |
27 |
8 |
17 |
9 |
16 |
|
11 |
17 |
34 |
18 |
29 |
18 |
22 |
12 |
27 |
|
12 |
10 |
18 |
9 |
13 |
15 |
19 |
9 |
19 |
|
13 |
56 |
78 |
7 |
26 |
10 |
19 |
37 |
50 |
|
14 |
20 |
26 |
9 |
18 |
11 |
19 |
19 |
31 |
|
15 |
8 |
11 |
5 |
11 |
2 |
13 |
7 |
17 |
|
16 |
84 |
95 |
12 |
22 |
11 |
24 |
19 |
47 |
|
17 |
10 |
15 |
22 |
33 |
9 |
15 |
14 |
19 |
|
18 |
6 |
11 |
9 |
15 |
10 |
15 |
13 |
22 |
|
19 |
14 |
26 |
15 |
31 |
13 |
37 |
30 |
53 |
|
20 |
5 |
15 |
9 |
16 |
9 |
14 |
8 |
15 |
|
21 |
18 |
36 |
14 |
34 |
9 |
28 |
13 |
33 |
|
22 |
4 |
13 |
7 |
15 |
8 |
16 |
9 |
22 |
|
23 |
30 |
45 |
23 |
38 |
33 |
45 |
23 |
34 |
|
24 |
6 |
25 |
7 |
19 |
8 |
21 |
10 |
26 |
|
25 |
31 |
66 |
22 |
53 |
17 |
49 |
16 |
45 |
|
99 |
4 |
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