Paul Fitzgerald formed the Queen City Chess Club, QC^3, in 2009 in partnership with Healthy Living Market. The club seeks to create a culture where kids learn to be collaborative problem solvers and where personal growth is prized.
The club has weekly practices, through the academic year, on Saturdays from 8:30-10. The club is free and open to the public and chess players of all levels of experience. Free lessons are part of most practices and kids generally play a game, or modified game, with 2 or three other kids of similar levels of experience at each session.
The club hosts a series of monthly chess tournaments to give kids opportunities to get accustomed to tournament play. The club participates in the Fall and State Scholastic Tournaments in Vermont and the club makes an effort to travel to Montreal in May for a Chess and Math Tournament.