July 18, 2018
Playworks and Centervention Team Up to Bring Play-Based Tools to Schools to Help Improve School Climate and Student Behavior
DURHAM, North Carolina—July 18, 2018. Playworks and Centervention® announced a partnership to bring their respective play-based tools to schools across the country in an effort to bring social emotional learning to the forefront of a child’s education.
Students with strong social competencies are 54 percent more likely to earn a high school diploma, twice as likely to attain a college degree, and 46 percent more likely to have a full-time job by age 25, a longitudinal study published in the American Journal of Public Health (2015) reports. Social and emotional skills include demonstrating empathy and a sense of fairness, cooperating, and treating others with respect.
This partnership comes at a critical time for schools planning to implement the Whole School, Whole Child, Whole Community (WSCC) model during the 2018-2019 school year, as directed by many state level education departments. The WSCC model responds to calls for greater alignment, integration and collaboration between health and education sectors to improve a child’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development and learning.
“We’re excited to partner with Centervention to ensure that school professionals leverage the power of play to develop social emotional skills with the kids in our community,” said Kristin Hathorn, Executive Director of Playworks North Carolina.
Tim Huntley, Centervention CEO, added, “Play-based programs are an extremely effective way to engage students in developing social and emotional skills. And with this partnership, we will provide a comprehensive solution that spans the entire school day.”
Together, the organizations are projecting that 2,000 schools will see a positive impact around school climate and student behavior next year. To create sustainable change and ensure that 3.5 million children experience safe and healthy play every day by December 2020, Playworks is committed to collaborative approaches with partners to positively impact schools and children.
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About Playworks
Playworks is the leading national nonprofit leveraging the power of play to transform children’s social and emotional health. Through onsite direct-service coaching, trainings, and consulting, Playworks partners with elementary schools, districts, and after-school programs to integrate physical activity and social-emotional learning skill-building during recess. The goal is to create a safe and welcoming place for every kid on the playground so students feel included, are active and develop valuable social and emotional skills needed to thrive in the classroom and beyond. For more information, visit: www.playworks.org.
About Centervention
Centervention ® is the leading provider of online programs that help students in grades K-8 improve social and emotional skills. These games are fun for students, automatically gather data so educators can monitor progress, and include supplemental lessons to reinforce learning. With Centervention, educators meet students where they are, address their unique needs, and do so in an engaging, effective way. For more information, visit www.centervention.com.
For more information on this partnership, please contact Kristin Hathorn via phone (919) 419-6446 or via email kristin.hathorn@playworks.org, or Tim Huntley via phone (919) 535-5065 or via email tim@centervention.com.