August 2024 Newsletter

Nearly 200 community educators and childcare professionals in attendance on Wednesday's Playful Learning Summit at the Memorial Art Gallery.

Playful Learning Summit taps the power of play to transform education

Healthi Kids presented its second Playful Learning Summit Wednesday, Aug. 21, at the Memorial Art Gallery. This sold-out, day-long conference emphasized the power of play and creativity inside and outside the classroom to spur physical activity, social-emotional growth, mental wellness, academic achievement and more.

“Play is the best way for kids to learn because it fully engages them,” said Dina Faticone, chief program officer of Common Ground Health. “Play is also key to social-emotional development. We know that kids need supportive opportunities to build relationships, including peer relationships and relationships with trusted adults. Play provides them with those opportunities.”

Read about the event.

Healthi Kids volunteer Jamie Lee Maldonado, Healthi Kids staff Stephanie David, Anna Laurenza and Erick Stephens attended the Zero to Three Conference July 31-Aug. 1 in Long Beach, Calif. This conference, which aims to empower early childhood professionals, offered new information, research and networking opportunities.

Team updates: Congratulations to Mike Bulger!

As of August 1, Mike Bulger became Healthi Kids' new Director of Whole Child Health Advocacy. Mike is co-leading the Healthi Kids team with Stephanie David, the Early Childhood Policy Director. He has oversight on our Creating Healthy Schools & Communities and Food Policy portfolios, and provide strategic leadership to the Healthi Kids Coalition and its advocacy strategies.

Mike has contributed significantly to Healthi Kids work over the last 8 years and has demonstrated the ability to think both strategically and creatively. He has built partnerships and relationships with key stakeholders at all levels, and advocated successfully for policy, systems, and environmental changes.

Learn more about Healthi Kids' Whole Child Health Advocacy accomplishments.

Community members invited to repaint street mural at Parsells Avenue and Greeley Street

The painted intersection that originally was a temporary improvement to slow traffic has become an essential part of the Beechwood community.

That’s why community partners will repaint the street mural at the intersection of Parsells Avenue and Greeley Street Saturday. The street painting, called Art on the Avenue, will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. Community residents and volunteers are invited to join in the painting and related activities.

"It brings all ages of the community together through a playful learning experience," said Denise Vogel, a neighborhood resident leading the street repainting effort.

The street mural at the intersection of Parsells Avenue Greeley Streets will be repainted Saturday. Community members and volunteers are invited to help.

Meet the Healthi Kids Coalition: Curtis Birthwright

Meet Healthi Kids Coalition Member Curtis Birthwright

Curtis Birthwright’s upbringing in the Bronx paved the path for him to be the Social Emotional Learning/Leader in Me Coordinator for Dr. David and Ruth Anderson School #16. At School #16, Birthwright has created time and space in the building schedule to ensure that kids get recess.

Birthwright said recess and play help kids resolve conflicts, manage behavior and emotions and learn how to compete.

“If you don’t employ play, you are going to struggle,” said Birthwright, a ROC Restorative Teacher on Special Assignment at the ROC Restorative H.U.B. (Healing, Understanding, Belonging).

Read how Birthwright became a play advocate.

Story walk in Beechwood was repainted this summer

Using a theme of flowers and insects, artist Francheska Diaz led a team of volunteers in repainting the story walk outside the Sully Branch Library and the Ryan R-Center in July.

Partner spotlight: City of Rochester

The City of Rochester is creating an advisory task force of 20 city young people to give input into creating new policies that affect youth. The new task force would have a more expansive policy input that the current mayoral advisory group Youth Voice/One Vision, which mainly focuses on issues with the city's R-Centers.

"Giving young people a voice into policies that affect them directly is an important step to raising up current and future leaders from our youth," said Mike Bulger, director of Whole Child Health Advocacy. "We applaud these efforts by the City of Rochester."

Learn more about the program.

In the headlines

Playful Learning Summit to transform education in the Finger Lakes - Finger Lakes 1, August 20
Momentum toward 2034 - Rochester Beacon, June 6
Understanding an adverse past gives clues on how to deal with current stressors - Rochester Business Journal, June 4

August 2024