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September 30, 2022

2020–2022 Community Report

In 2018, Trying Together launched its Strategic Roadmap.

As the end of 2022 approaches, Trying Together reflects on the significant progress that was made in achieving its goals, instances where it was necessary to pivot and reprioritize to meet the needs of children, families, and educators, and opportunities to expand upon this work in 2023 and beyond.

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September 3, 2021

You are a valued caregiver.

Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher. The importance of the everyday interactions that adults have with the young children in their care have a great impact on their healthy development and learning. Thank you for utilizing Trying Together’s digital resources.

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May 14, 2021

#SummerofPlay Social Media Toolkit

Social media is a powerful tool for advocacy, even if you don’t consider yourself to be an ‘expert.’

If you spend time on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn, you can use those platforms to advocate for issues that are important to you. For the Summer of Play in 2021, use social media to promote learning through play and engaging in playful activities.

Download Summer of Play graphics (in English and Spanish) to share on social media and find sample posts and helpful tips in the toolkit.

 

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Recess Advocacy: Educators and Administrators

Educators and Administrators

Play provides opportunities for children to reduce stress, explore feelings, and form relationships with peers. For more than a year, children remained socially distanced from their peers and adjusted to a new way of schooling. As we shift from remote learning back to in-person school, the importance of play and recess must be at the forefront of the conversation around reopening schools and helping children adjust to a changed educational environment.

Tools for Educators:

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Recess Advocacy Toolkit: Get the Toolkit

In addition to the individual topic-based PDFs above, the complete Recess Advocacy Toolkit is available to read or download as a PDF below.

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Recess Advocacy Toolkit: Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

The creation of this toolkit was made possible by The Grable Foundation and Remake Learning Tomorrow Grants.

Special thanks to the following organizations for their contributions and guidance in the creation of this toolkit. Their work on the Recess Advocacy Team has been instrumental in creating this toolkit and in the ongoing advocacy efforts. Each organization brings to the table their own expertise and perspective:

Questions & Feedback

For questions or suggestions, please contact recess@tryingtogether.org.

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Recess Advocacy Toolkit: Families quote

“I hope we learn the lessons from this year and add more time for recess and play. Health and wellness matters. Our children need childhoods. I truly believe more play will benefit all kids.”

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Recess Advocacy Toolkit: Educators & Administrators quote

“Personally, I have witnessed over the years that students who have quality play/recess experiences generally exhibit better self esteem. Also, students who play together learn to negotiate and communicate with one another more reasonably.”

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About the Recess Advocacy Toolkit

The Recess Advocacy Toolkit is designed to be a resource for educators and families on the importance of recess and play for the healthy social-emotional growth of children and includes:

  • information on different types of play;
  • research to inform educators and administrators on the benefits of recess;
  • testimonials and tips from Physical Education teachers; and
  • template emails and social media posts for digital advocacy.