Press Releases

BACKED BY $26 MILLION IN NEW FUNDING COMMITMENTS, NEW PLAYWORKS VISION AIMS TO ENSURE SAFE AND HEALTHY PLAY EVERY DAY FOR 3.5 MILLION KIDS IN 7,000 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE Educators and Families Can Stand Up For Safe And Healthy Play By Visiting safeandhealthyplay.org Oakland, CA—September 13, 2016— Playworks (www.playworks.org), a leading nonprofit that brings safe and healthy…

Washington, DC—September 1, 2016—Today, Let’s Move! Active Schools—part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative—announced that Playworks is one of nine new partners joining this national collaborative, which is dedicated to ensuring that 60 minutes of physical activity a day is the norm in K-12 schools across the country. “The Let’s Move! Active Schools…

Oakland, CA—September 1, 2016—Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf named September 1, 2016 Jill Vialet Day in honor of Playworks’ founder and in celebration of Playworks’ 20th anniversary. David Silver, Director of Education for the city of Oakland, recognized Vialet at Playworks’ national board meeting and shared the following statement from Mayor Libby Schaaf: Playworks is a national nonprofit…

Boston, MA—June 14, 2016—Classy, the world’s first social impact platform with the goal of helping organizations solve social problems more effectively and efficiently, today announced Playworks as a finalist for the 6th Annual Classy Awards. The Collaborative + Classy Awards bring together top social innovators from around the world for a unique three-day experience of…

Carson, CA—May 10, 2016—Playworks announced today that DeMar George, Playworks AmeriCorps Coach of Playworks Southern California at Kennedy Elementary School in Santa Ana, CA, has been selected as the recipient for the 2016 Rookie of the Year Award for exemplifying service and the power of play. The annual award recognizes a Playworks AmeriCorps Member who…

  Bernard J. Tyson accepts Playworks’ 2016 Inspirational Leadership Award from Playworks Junior Coaches at the 2016 Playworks Get in the Game Soirée. Oakland, CA—March 9, 2016—Playworks announced today that Bernard J. Tyson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, has been selected as the recipient for the 2016 Inspiring Leadership Award for exemplifying the qualities that…

Oakland, CA—December 18, 2015— Playworks, the leading national nonprofit leveraging the power of play to bring out the best in every kid, is pleased to announce the appointment of three new members to the national Board of Directors. At the organization’s quarterly meeting, the chair of the Board of Directors Joy Weiss welcomed the newest directors,…

San Francisco, CA—May 12, 2015—Playworks announced today that Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world’s #1 CRM company, has been selected as the recipient for the 2015 Inspiring Leadership Award for exemplifying the qualities that Playworks develops in young people across the country. The annual award recognizes a corporation that energizes the workplace, brings a…

Former Egyptian Women’s National Team Basketball star turned engineer turned social entrepreneur comes to Oakland to innovate with Playworks mentor   Oakland, CA—September 26, 2014— A former Egyptian women’s basketball star and telecommunications engineer who left both worlds to start a school for underprivileged Egyptian children is spending three weeks at Playworks’ national office in…