Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Jill Vialet Shares Lessons Learned on Scaling Impact

  1. Updates
  2. Jill Vialet
  3. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The road to scaling social impact isn’t always linear or free of bumps. Playworks CEO and Founder Jill Vialet speaks to the unforeseen challenges and key lessons learned when scaling Playworks in Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s blog.

Empowered by a series of grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation throughout 2005-2015, Jill and the Playworks team turned a local recess intervention program into a national movement that reaches 700,000 students.

What’s the secret to successful growth? Read Jill Vialet’s answer, “What I Learned from Scaling Playworks into a National Movement,” on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation blog.

More Updates


October 22, 2026

How Paying Attention to Recess Improves Student Attendance, and How to Fund It ›

Key Takeaways Belonging drives attendance. Kids show up where they feel they belong, and recess is where every kid can find it. A great recess has… Known games, simple norms,…

September 22, 2026

How Play Teaches Kids and Adults to Use Good Judgement ›

Any time kids play, they make dozens of small judgment calls they may not even notice. Sometimes this looks like settling a disputed call with rock, paper, scissors instead of…

September 1, 2026

Reflecting on the The Crucial Role of Recess ›

Playworks partnered with Say Yes To Recess to explore updates to the American Academy of Pediatrics‘ policy statement The Crucial Role of Recess.  In early 2026, the American Academy of…