The Conference on the Value of Play
February 6th-9th, 2011 at The Conference Center and Inn at Clemson University in beautiful Clemson, SC.
Dr. Joe Frost has described many of the problems that arise when people are deprived of opportunities to play. He indicated that the solutions to these problems are complex and will "require massive, coordinated effort." The Conference on the Value of Play is designed to provide a venue through which people and organizations can come together to learn from each other and to coordinate efforts to bring play back into the lives of people of all ages.
Who Should Attend?
If you value play then we want you to be with us for this important conference! US Play Coalition members include academics and professionals in fields including parks and recreation,
education, and health, as well as parent advocacy groups and international organizations which advocate for the right to play. We also look forward to opportunities to partner further
with landscape architects, government entities, and others who can help make play available to all. Collaboration is a key to our success, so we encourage everyone to attend and to bring
with you your expertise and your own knowledge about the value of play.
Purpose of the Conference
Attendees at last year’s Summit on the Value of Play developed specific action steps to bring play back and to help people of all ages have opportunities to play.
The US Play Coalition was born from one of these action steps and it is our goal to provide a venue for organizations and individuals who value play to gather and work together—the Conference on
the Value of Play is one such venue. Summit attendees also called for an accessible body of research and information in support of play. This conference will allow attendees to share their own research
and to learn together. The Conference on the Value of Play will emphasize the health and educational implications of play while still focusing on the role of parks and recreation in facilitating play for
all. More information, including a call for proposals, will be posted in the program information tab to the left. Watch this tab for more information on how to qualify for a $3,000 seed grant for future research.
National Safety Month - June 1 to June 30 - Each June, the National Safety Council encourages organizations to get involved and participate in National Safety Month. NSM is an annual observance to educate and influence behaviors around leading causes of preventable injuries and deaths.
Great Outdoors Month 2013 - June 1 to June 30 - Excitement is growing across the nation about plans for Great Outdoors Week and Great Outdoors Month 2013. Great Outdoors Month celebrates a variety of important events and actions that occur during June, and highlights the benefits of active fun outdoors and our magnificent shared resources of forests, parks, refuges and other public lands and waters. Great Outdoors Week (June 1-8) showcases efforts enhancing outdoor recreation for all Americans in the 21st century through awards, briefings and other events in the Nation’s Capital.
Deadline July 24 – Call for Proposals on Public Health Law Research - June 12 to July 24 - The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has released the 2013 Call for Proposals on “Public Health Law Research: Making the Case for Laws that Improve Health.” The program seeks to build evidence for and strengthen the use of regulatory, legal and policy solutions to improve public health. Policies about recess, physical activity, unstructured play, and liability statutes for schoolyard playgrounds might be possible play topics to tie into the call.
Vote now until July 15 - Win $100,000 from Coca-Cola for your favorite park - June 12 to July 15 - Having fun and getting fit outdoors just became a great way to win funding for your favorite park. Coca-Cola has kicked off the fourth-annual “America is Your Park” campaign where people can vote for their favorite park to win up to $100,000. What are you waiting for?