Stories of Play

We had so many great stories and quotes from our week in Albuquerque, it was hard to choose what to share! Below are just some of what we heard while introducing Playworks tto New Mexico. Coach Matt, from San Francisco, started the week out well: As I got out of my van this morning on the second…

Last week six of our Program Coordinators from across the country traveled to Oklahoma City for recess roll-out—a week long demonstration of the main components of the Playworks program. Focusing on recess and class game time while encouraging leadership development, the “coaches” taught students key playground games, conflict resolution skills and positive sporting behavior. The…

Every so often, we get a story from the field that especially moves us because it so beautifully demonstrates how one individual can make such a genuine, meaningful difference in such a simple way. Coach Bari in Baltimore has changed the life of a child simply because she took the time to learn his name, paid…

During the summer of 2010 I went to visit my best friend, Max, in Niamey, Niger. I was prepared for the African environment and hoped for an enriching experience, but I never expected that my ability to engage children in athletics would benefit my friend in his country and his community as a whole. Every…

Today’s guest post is by Evan Kennedy. Evan is a program manager for Playworks in the East Bay. He has worked for Playworks since 2006, when he was a program coordinator and AmeriCorps member in West Oakland. When he’s not playing outside, Evan may be found reading a good book or inventing a new game to…

Two weeks ago, Playworks hosted Play On 2010 at Columbia University in New York. The conference was designed to bring together individuals and organizations in the field of play and youth development. This is the second year we’ve taken it on, somehow forgetting each year how much energy it requires until we’re about ready to…

Each year, Playworks introduces its program to potential expansion cities through a weeklong “Recess Roll-Out.” Selected schools in the city each get a Playworks coach for the week to demonstrate how the program can impact the students, staff and culture at the school. This week, we’re in Little Rock, Arkansas. Here is an example of…

We are often asked why we focus our full-time coaches on low-income schools. There are many reasons, but some days these reasons are more profound than others. Not too long ago, I led our East Bay Junior Coach Conference in Richmond, California. More than 125 fourth and fifth graders from 10 schools in West Contra…