Staff from Children’s Institute and ROC the Future Alliance joined other community vendor organizations and nearly 200 attendees at the inaugural Healthi Kids Playful Learning Summit, presented by the Strong National Museum of Play this past Monday, August 21^st.  The event was sponsored by Greater Rochester Health Foundation, Creating Health Schools and Communities, and RCSD's Office of Parent Engagement. All of the sessions at the Summit were for adults to learn more about encouraging playful learning.

This learning event delved into the transformative power of playful learning, explored its impact on various aspects of children's lives, including physical activity, social-emotional learning, mental wellness, academics, and more. Also highlighted were culturally responsive approaches to playful learning and valuable insights into how Black, Brown, Latino children, and students with disabilities can thrive through these methods. The event was well received and enjoyed by all who attended.

The keynote address was provided by Dr. Ariana Brazier and Julia Brazier from ATL Parent Like a Boss: "Community Within—Black Child Play as Response and Protest". This informative and interactive workshop highlighted the various ways that Black Children, particularly Black children living in poverty, play. The workshop worked with participants through dialogue, physical play, multimedia components, and critical inquiry to analyze the ages and stages of play necessary for holistic child development, as well as the racialized and classed ways in which play is deprived as Black children age and grow. Finally, they considered the ways that Black children use play to respond to and protest against institutionalized racism.

The agenda for the summit included the following topics:

• Trauma-Informed Care and The Role and Power of Play (Part 1)
• Enhancing Learning for All by Integrating Playful Practices
• The Who, What, When, Where, How & Why of Play
• Strategies for Inclusive Play for Students with Disabilities
• Trauma-Informed Care and The Role and Power of Play (Part 2)
• Play as Culturally Sustainable Family Engagement
• Playful Learning: What's Infant Mental Health Got to Do with It?
• Playful Learning: A Perfect Space for Inclusion

The Healthi Kids Coalition advocates for the creation of policies, systems, environments, and resources that advance the health and well-being of all children birth to age 8 in Rochester and the Finger Lakes region. They advance policies to ensure all kids regardless of race, zip code, economic status, sexual orientation, immigration status, social status, gender, religion, or ability have the supports they need for the healthiest start in life. Since 2008, Healthi Kids has been advancing active play in schools and neighborhoods through its PlayROCs initiative.