Oak Foundation and Playworks partner to create a safe learning community

  1. Updates

Playworks NC would like to recognize Oak Foundation for its support of Playworks' efforts to increase children’s levels of physical activity, develop leadership and workforce skills, and create a safe and effective learning community.

Oak Foundation will support three Playworks partner schools in East Durham where more than 85 percent of students are eligible for free and/or reduced lunch: Maureen Joy Charter, Y.E Smith Elementary and Eastway Elementary.

Oak Foundation's contribution helps to improve the health and well-being of more than 1,300 students through daily physical activity and safe, meaningful play on the playground, in the classroom and beyond.

Oak Foundation commits its resources to addressing issues of global social and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged.  Since its establishment, Oak Foundation has made more than 3,000 grants to not-for-profit organizations across the globe. Oak has its main administrative office in Geneva, Switzerland and a presence in eight other countries: Belize, Bulgaria, Denmark, Ethiopia, India, the UK, the US and Zimbabwe.

For more information about the Oak Foundation, please visit, www.oakfnd.org.

More Updates


January 10, 2023

Understanding the Complex Simplicities of Play ›

Play is a behavior that is natural and has existed for thousands of years and across species. It combines a set of made-up rules or norms and a willingness to explore. Researchers, scientists, and doctors have studied the effects of play on kids–and adults–and understand that this natural behavior has tremendous benefits. As the American…

three people with Playworks shirts
three people with Playworks shirts

July 28, 2022

A year of social and emotional learning ›

“You can’t do SEL, trauma, or equity work without each other,” Jennette Claassen, Head of Evaluation, Playworks. As Playworks continued to progress on our equity journey, we explored a critical question: what are the intersections between play, social and emotional learning, physical activity, and trauma? A working group focused on this question decided, among other…

August 24, 2021

Playworks Founder Jill Vialet Publishes ‘Why Play Works’ ›

Play brings out the best in every kid. Over the course of 25 years since Jill Vialet founded Playworks, she and her colleagues, as well as researchers and play experts, have demonstrated precisely how and why play works to help kids learn and grow in the most positive and healthy ways. Jill gathered stories from people…