CCRI Life is good Playmaker 101: Foundations of Playmaking Training with

Steve Gross and Ellen Lempereur Greaves

Saturday April 4th, 2015 8:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m.

CCRI Knight Campus

Registration, Breakfast and Lunch will take place in Room #1134

Playmaker 101: Foundations of Playmaking Training will take place in Room 4090

Sponsored by CITLA

VISION

The Life is good Playmakers (LIGP) vision is to dramatically improve the quality of care to our nation’s most vulnerable citizens so that children grow up feeling safe, loved, and joyful. Early experiences of safety, attachment and joy in childhood form the healthy social, emotional and psychological foundations on which all future learning and development will be built. Therefore LIGP provides comprehensive personal and professional development resources to frontline professionals who work with our nation’s poorest and most vulnerable children. These Playmakers use the power of playful engagement to build healing, life-changing relationships with the children in their care and line of work.

OBJECTIVES

1) Partner with CCRI by offering the Playmaker 101: Foundations of Playmaking training for faculty and staff to gain a deep understanding of the impact of childhood trauma on development and of the power of playful engagement to help children recover from these traumatic experiences. Through lively discussion, varied activities, and big handfuls of joyful play, faculty and staff will explore the healing power of play for children impacted by trauma. We also help you reconnect with your playful self so you can bring greater levels of energy and joy back to your classroom, care giving and work environments. In this one-day session participants are able to:

  • Deepen their understanding of the impact of trauma on children's psychosocial health, behavior and development.
  • Experience the power of playful engagement and learn specific cooperative play activities to immediately implement in their work.
  • Identify the daily behaviors that can help build a more joyful, connected and empowering environment for themselves, their colleagues, and the children in their care.

2) Provide personal and professional resources to develop the knowledge, skills, insight, artistry and spirit necessary to build life-changing relationships with children at risk. Training, coaching, tools, equipment, and peer support help integrate a trauma-informed Playmaker practice into every aspect of work with children. The approach, as well as the recommended games and activities, will be guided by the four key Playmaker principles in order to support 1) engagement and creativity, 2) connection and community, 3) joy, and 4) safety and empowerment in children.

3) Support faculty and staff in nurturing their own social and emotional wellness.

We have found that happy and healthy adults help to nurture happy and healthy children. With this in mind, the Playmaker intervention supports caregiver wellness through following the same four principles: encouraging safety and empowerment, engagement and creativity, connection and community, and joy in both their personal and professional lives. Training, coaching, and peer support directly address personal development in addition to professional development.

4) Build and maintain an interactive learning/support community where practitioners can learn from, share with and be inspired by others. A thriving “Playmaker” community provides opportunities for connection, community, and peer support in person at boosters, events, as well as via social media.

Additional information can be found at