Stories of Play
October 18, 2017
Overcoming the challenges of creating an inclusive school community ›
Educators know that helping new students transition into a school’s culture is critical to building and sustaining a healthy community. This can be tough, especially when students come from different…
October 17, 2017
Inclusive Play Five Days a Week ›
For over two decades, we’ve been bringing kids and school communities together with play. On Playworks playgrounds, you won’t see kids sidelined. You’ll see high-fives, positive-reinforcement, and different students coming…
October 11, 2017
Coach Alumna Brings Joy to School Community as Principal ›
Alumni Spotlight: Eleanor Alderman Current Role: Principal, International Community School (ICS), Oakland, CA Before Eleanor began her career in teaching and school administration, she was an AmeriCorps coach with Playworks…
October 2, 2017
Alumni Spotlight: Odiaka Gonzalez ›
Raised in Atlanta, GA, Odiaka Gonzalez graduated from Morehouse College with a BA in Psychology. Prior to serving as the executive director of Oakland Leaf, a nonprofit that utilizes creative…
October 2, 2017
From the Playground to USC ›
After graduating from college, McKenna Griffith was searching for an opportunity where she could make an impact on students’ lives. She was interested in youth development and wanted to hone…
September 25, 2017
More Play, Fewer Suspensions ›
“It was chaos. A lot of kids would get in trouble or get hurt,” said Assistant Principal Peter Wilson, remembering what recess used to be like at Burbank Elementary in…
August 10, 2017
Want to Change the Classroom? Start at Recess ›
Done right, recess improves classtime. "Our teachers get back so many hours of instruction time because they do not have to interrupt the lesson to deal with student behavior.
July 27, 2017
Why Kids Like Clinton Need Mentors ›
Last year I had a student, Clinton, who was pretty challenging. He was constantly being put on the fence by his teachers because of something he did in class or…
April 14, 2017
Steph Curry Plays Rock, Paper, Scissors with James Corden ›
Watch Steph Curry play a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors with James Corden on The Late LateShow. Looks like Steph learned a thing or two from the kids at Playworks! Playworks students…