Bill Gates and Warren Buffett Make Winning Bid for Youth Bridge Program

Students nationwide play cards and increase skills

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- If you never thought you'd see the day when kids played cards at school, think again. It's happening - and helping kids develop important critical thinking skills. Fueling this in-school card craze is Microsoft Chairman and bridge enthusiast, Bill Gates, who along with Berkshire Hathaway founder, Warren Buffett, pledged $1 million in support of creating a youth bridge program.

Debuting nationally this month, the School Bridge League (division of The League) is bringing back the brain-building game of bridge -- by taking it to school. "The game of bridge is full of strategy and tactics," says Mickie Rinehart, Director of Operations, The League. "It is part science, math, logic, reason, and all fun. Bridge builds bridges, as it embodies cooperation and team problem solving - and is linked to higher test scores."

According to a study by Dr. Christopher Shaw, Board Member for the ACBL Education Foundation, students who played bridge scored higher on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills than their non-bridge playing counterparts after 20 months and again after 32 months. What's more, they scored higher in all five subject areas (reading, language, math, science, social studies).

Thanks to Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and the School Bridge League, kids nationwide can now benefit from the game. "Bridge is a game where you can keep improving and feel great about it without ever hitting the limit of what can be done," says Gates. The key was letting kids know.

In 2005, a new youth-service organization called, The League, was creating a web and school-based system for empowering kids to give back to their communities. After hearing about Gates' and Buffett's interest in youth bridge, The League reached out and a partnership was formed.

"What attracted Mr. Gates, Mr. Buffett and their program director, Sharon Osberg to The League, was our existing network of schools and a web-based system for reaching them," says Rinehart. "In the end, though, I think it was our commitment to finding unique ways to help children understand and embrace the importance of giving that sealed the deal."

Today, the School Bridge League is up and running. A web site (www.schoolbridgeleague.org), "Bridge in a Box" learning kit, and lesson plans (coded to state educational standards) are helping teachers integrate the game into their existing curriculum. A network of bridge enthusiasts and community groups to help teach the game is also under development.

This month, the School Bridge League takes its program national. "The game of bridge gives us yet another way to reach kids and help them develop the very skills they need to succeed in school and in life," says Rinehart.

The School Bridge League is a division of The League -- formed to empower young people to "get in the game" of giving. It is open to every school nationwide and is free and simple to join. To find out more, visit www.schoolbridgeleague.org or www.theleague.org.