Coach Michelle -Aka- "BIG Meesh" is a rookie AmeriCorps coach at one of our first year schools, Henry C. Lea.
In just a few short months she has made a huge impact on the school and has created an environment where every child wants to play. In addition to her school, she is impacting the community by participating in various community service projects throughout the city of Philadelphia as an AmeriCorps coach. Coach Michelle is our Rock Star Coach.
January 10, 2023
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…
July 28, 2022
“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
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…