About Playworks Portland

History

In 1996, Jill Vialet was sitting across from a principal of an elementary school in Oakland. The principal looked haggard, emerging from an earlier meeting trailed by three 5th grade boys. The principal launched into a tirade about…recess… read more

Playworks brought its trademark brand of safe and inclusive play to the Northwest in 9 Portland Public Schools in 2009. Today, Playworks Portland has expanded our reach to serve roughly 6,000 kids everyday in 14 PPS elementary schools during recess time, class game time workshops, a youth leadership program (Junior Coaches), before/after school programs and developmental sports leagues.

In addition, Playworks provides recess training, support and technical assistance to 11 schools in three Portland Metro school districts and their 4,800 students.

• Centennial SD: Harold Oliver, Lynch Meadows, Pleasant Valley and Parklane
• Gresham-Barlow SD: East Gresham, Hall and West Gresham
• Parkrose SD: Prescott, Sacramento, Shaver and Russell Academy

Impact

“It didn’t take months, it didn’t take weeks, we saw change within days and that’s a program worth keeping!”

- Principal Tamala Newsome, Rosa Parks School, Portland, Oregon

“Playworks teaches so many important life skills that work on better self-esteem, perseverance, conflict resolution, pride, cooperation, and good sportsmanship.”

- Grout Elementary Teacher, Portland, Oregon

More than 300 principals, teachers, and other staff at schools receiving Playworks Portland programming were surveyed during the 2010-11 school year. According to those responding here is a brief snapshot of our successes:

• 91 percent reported a decrease in the number of conflicts originating on the playground and spilling over to class
• 92 percent reported an increase in the level of participation in academic activities
• 87 percent reported a decrease in bullying at recess
• 91 percent reported a decrease in disciplinary referrals during recess
• 93 percent reported an increase in physical activity

Return on Recess: 6.92 is the average number of minutes recovered daily transitioning from recess to the classroom; that equals an average of 19.95 reclaimed teaching hours per class per year and a whopping $35,134 worth of savings in reclaimed teach time per school, annually!

This fall marks Playworks' third year in the Pacific Northwest. Join the movement for safe, healthy play in the Great Northwest to help us serve more schools and students and grow our reach in the Portland Metro Area and beyond. To learn more and get involved, visit www.playworks.org/portland or contact Playworks Portland Executive Director Jonathan Blasher. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.