Like many in our community, Playworks started the 2020-21 school year with the typical excitement but also with new nervousness and anxiety about the many unknowns and challenges we knew we’d face. While programming certainly looks different this year, the smiles, laughs, and joy that have always been constants on Playworks playgrounds continue to shine (even on Zoom).
Our Americorps Coaches and Site Coordinators in Boston, Lawrence, and Cambridge have been hard at work adapting our 25 years of play expertise to the world of virtual learning. As we navigate hybrid and remote learning alongside our school partners, we’ve been able to bring consistent opportunities for safe and healthy play to our 23 Coach and Team Up partner schools.
“I’m so thankful that this impact can still be realized in the virtual learning context. Coach Shelby has worked to facilitate games and activities that are engaging and accessible to all students, and it truly makes a difference at a time when school continues to feel unsettling for many. I try to intentionally build community with my students throughout the week, and Class Game Time with Coach Shelby is an important part of that process,” says Mr. Wilburn, a 3rd grade teacher at the Henry Grew School in Hyde Park.
“For some students, Class Game Time is when I see their highest rate of participation. Class Game Time is definitely a highlight of my week, and many of my students!”
Wondering what a day in the life of a virtual coach actually looks like? It typically looks a little something like this:
Curious to hear more directly from our Coaches? Check out the stories below:
- Coach Shelby at the Grew in Hyde Park
- Coach Jeff at the Frost in Lawrence
- Coach Ben at the Orchard Gardens in Roxbury
- Coach Jonah (site coordinator) at Russell in Dorchester, the Perkins in South Boston, the Kilmer in West Roxbury, and the O’Donnell in East Boston
- Coach Leah at the Hernandez in Roxbury
To learn more about the work we’ve done so far this school year, check out our 2020-21 Mid Year Report. To find a time to see Playworks programming in action, please contact Jessie Igoe at jessica.igoe@playworks.org.
