Unique Youth Bridge Classes

As SiVY Bridge has matured, the types of classes and clubs have also evolved. We began with after school classes at Boys and Girls Clubs, Elementary, and Middle Schools. As these kids grew older, High School clubs were added. And now that the organization is in its 5th year, some of the original SiVY kids and their parents have become volunteers, setting up programs in their communities.

Rory Lin, mother of SiVY players Brent and Rory Xiao, has been trying to organize a class in sons’ Fremont Middle School for some time, without success. This year she decided to go a different direction and found space for the class in the evenings at a friend’s pre-school! She went on to recruit 16 students, age middle school through adult.

SiVY Bridge then identified a head teacher, Charlie Conrad, who brought his friend and co-teacher Doug Burke into the fold. They’ve been holding classes since October and plan to continue through May.

Charlie told this story of the class, “We had a Christmas party where all families brought Chinese food.  And afterwards they asked for some cards so they could play.  Happiness in my heart!!”

Another very unique class was organized by longtime SiVY volunteer, Qing Lu. Qing, her son Michael Hu, and his friend and bridge partner Arthur Zhou, wanted to teach a beginning bridge class through an organization unrelated to SiVY Bridge known as Silicon Valley Youth.

Silicon Valley Youth is a student-run nonprofit educational and community service organization, founded in 2015 by two High School students. Their mission is to develop the intellectual, moral, civic, and creative capabilities of youth so they can serve and lead society. Silicon Valley Youth offers a number of after school and evening classes taught by high schoolers. All profits are donated to Ravenswood City School District to support kids in East Palo Alto.

Beginning Bridge was added to the Silicon Valley Youth offerings, with 8 classes scheduled Saturday evenings at the Saratoga Fire Station Community Room. Michael and Arthur were slated to teach the class, with SiVY Youth player Sarah Youngquist as a frequent classroom helper. The 10 students who signed up really seemed to enjoy the experience, so much so that sleeping firefighters elsewhere in the building asked them to be a bit quieter!

Sarah related following example of the students’ progress after only a few lessons, “At the last class of the session Arthur posed the following problem:

With this holding in a suit, can you always make three tricks?:
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After much lively discussion and some guidance the kids solved it.”

All in all it was a learning experience both for the SiVY Bridge youth teachers and the students!!