Update from the Executive Director

What an exciting and impactful year for Playworks New York/New Jersey! We partnered with over 100 schools and community organizations to bring safe, meaningful and inclusive play to over 55,000 kids throughout New York and New Jersey while building the capacity of 5,000 adults who impact children on a daily basis. Our programming cuts a wide swath in NY from Rochester, Buffalo, Niagara Falls down through Westchester and NYC and throughout NJ including Newark, Jersey City, Roselle, Deptford, Edison and Ridgewood.

New Partnerships and Firsts:

• While we have partnered with Newark Public Schools for 15 years on Coach and TeamUp programming, for the first time we provided capacity building training services for schools and a larger opportunity providing training for over 150 summer learning educators and staff at 16 sites, covering group management, facilitation strategies, best practices for teaching diverse learning styles, and enhancing transitions.
• First time training 500 summer camp staff for the YMCA of Greater Rochester’s 10 camp locations.
• We had an exciting opportunity that shows how Playworks can provide support and impact for a wide range of partnerships; training the Education Department and the Spring and Summer camp counselors, artists in residence and volunteers at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Continued Successes:

• YMCA of South Florida: For the third consecutive year, we facilitated training for the YMCA of S. Florida’s 700 summer camp staff, providing training on game facilitation and intentional group management practices, reinforcing our strong relationship and impact. (YES, Florida)
• We were excitedly approved as a preferred vendor by Buffalo Public Schools and had our first training contract with their Parent & Family Engagement Department, and already have two new opportunities in progress for the coming year. 
• We continued our Coach and TeamUp services in Newark and Jersey City, NJ and TeamUp in Roselle, NJ, New York City, Niagara Falls and Rochester, NY. 
• We had a rousing success for our second Girls Developmental Basketball Tournament since before the pandemic. Ten school communities came out to play, have fun and cheer each other on.
• There is nothing like culminating a year of Junior Coach programming with a final conference that included fun, games, facilitation, team building and affirmations.

All we do would not be possible without the invaluable support of our funding partners. We are proud of the ongoing support from The Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, Buffalo Sabres Foundation, M&T Bank Foundation, Nickelodeon, Playworks NY/NJ Board Members and new supporters such as the NJ Devils Youth Foundation, NY Giants Foundation, Rose M. Badgeley Charitable Trust, NHL Foundation, Heisman Trophy Youth Fund, Gotham FC, Amazin’ Mets Foundation, Citizens Bank Foundation, and Investors Bank Foundation. Support from these organizations makes it possible for us to bring Playworks programming and its invaluable benefits to kids across New York and New Jersey each and every day.

Looking to the future, we are excited about the opportunities Playworks New York/New Jersey will have to positively impact even more kids across our region; students who develop strong social and emotional skills, also build the ability to translate healthy behaviors into healthy lifetime patterns.

Robin I. Grossman
Executive Director
Playworks New York/New Jersey