August 2025

August 2025 Newsletter 

Educators learn from students how play promotes health and ignites learning

Last week's Playful Learning Summit at the Memorial Art Gallery focused on the joy of play as a tool for learning.

The Healthi Kids event, titled “Joy in Motion: Reimagining Learning through Play, Creativity, and Recess” featured inspirational speakers sharing how learning through play can help students succeed. Dr. Deonna Smith, author of Rooted in Joy: Creating a Classroom Culture of Equity, Belonging and Care, contrasted two schools with different approaches to play but similar test scores. She spoke about advocating for joy and play in schools. 

A panel of youth shared why play is important to them, and even rain didn't dampen the enthusiasm. Participants took part in a 20-minute indoor recess designed by youth organizers featuring board games, a scavenger hunt and time to socialize with friends. Learn more.

KABOOM! highlights Healthi Kids' work to make play accessible

KABOOM! – a national nonprofit that works to end play-space inequity – recently put Healthi Kids’ efforts in Rochester in the spotlight. Our work was highlighted in a blog post along with three other cities as examples of how to make outdoor play more accessible and equitable across the country.

KABOOM! cited how Healthi Kids’ PlayROCs initiative has transformed the conversation around outdoor play. The blog post also includes a video about Arwyn, an 11-year-old Healthi Kids volunteer who began speaking out about the importance of play when she was just four years old. Arwyn recently traveled to Washington, D.C., with KABOOM! officials to speak to lawmakers about play.

See the blog post.

Partner Spotlight: Child Care Council

Child Care Council has opened a new outpatient clinic to meet the mental-health needs of children and adolescents ages 3 to 18. The clinic offers individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and medication-management services to help with a range of challenges, such as ADHD; anxiety; behavior challenges; bipolar disorder; depression; change due to divorce or separation; grief and loss; OCD; relationship, family or school concerns; and trauma.

“We applaud Child Care Council for opening this outpatient clinic focused on early childhood mental health,” said Stephanie David, JD, MPH, IMH-E^®, Common Ground’s early childhood policy director. “With this clinic, the Council is helping to meet a critical need in our community, as children as young as three years old face mental-health challenges.”

Learn more about the clinic.

Reminder: Share your feedback on new Ryan Center playground designs

Healthi Kids is thrilled to be working with KABOOM! to rebuild the Ryan Center's Playground. In July, we held an input session at the Center to hear from the community about what they want. We are looking for feedback on our two preliminary designs. Click here for a brief survey to cast your vote for which design you like best and why! Save the date for our community build day on Oct. 3.

Representatives from Healthi Kids, ESL, and ROC The Future took part in a rural summit on Aug. 12 at Syracuse University to learn about place-based strategies for cradle-to-career success. From left: Dina Faticone, chief program officer; Stephanie David, early childhood policy director, and Anna Laurenza, early childhood project coordinator; Michelle Shafer, ESL’s senior community impact relationship manager; and Sara White Smith, ROC The Future’s director of collective impact.

Common Ground Health Co-CEO Wade Norwood, and Willie Parks III from Wayne County also attended the rural summit in Syracuse. (Photo credit: Terrance Barber)

Erick Stephens, parent engagement specialist for Healthi Kids, and Stephanie David, early childhood policy director, attended Healthy Moms’ fourth annual Resource Fair on Aug. 14. 

Upcoming partner event:

Back-to-School Community Event, Aug. 27 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rochester Community Sports Complex, 460 Oak St. in Rochester. Includes free supplies for students and information about support services including job training, youth programs, meditation and conflict resolution, emotional wellness, and re-entry assistance.

In the headlines

• Summit explores the role of play-and recess- in children's learning  - WXXI News, August 20
• Parents, specialists call for more playful approaches to discipline and interventions this school year | WXXI News - WXXI News, August 21
• Love from the start campaign promotes benefits of nurturing relationship between parents, infants - Spectrum News, July 30