Playworks New England Hosts Junior Coach Graduation

BOSTON, Mass. – On Saturday, May 18, more than 400 elementary school students, representing 43 Boston, New Bedford, and Lawrence Public Schools, graduated from Playworks New England’s Junior Coach Program, which gives selected 4th and 5th grade students the tools they need to navigate through school and through life. As Junior Coaches, students lead peers through games during recess on the playground. Wearing Junior Coach T-shirts and carrying whistles, they work with Playworks coaches to help classmates engage with one another, develop teamwork, inclusion, and conflict resolution skills, and have fun while building their own self-confidence and leadership skills.

During the celebration at Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School, Junior Coaches were recognized for their efforts leading their peers on the playground during recess for the nonprofit. Speakers included Lianne Holmes-Idem, Principal of the Holmes Innovation School in Boston, Coach Lai, a current Playworks AmeriCorps Coach serving at the Dever Elementary School and former Junior Coach, and Junior Coach Layla, a student at Dever Elementary School. The event concluded with Junior Coach Program graduates engaging their families in the same interactive skill-building games they play at recess to earn raffle prizes.

Past experiences show that with a set of well-defined responsibilities, a supportive adult role model, and the uniform to match, youth will typically turn their behavior around and become model students. The results speak for themselves: According to research from Partnerships in Education and Resilience, 80 percent of Playworks Junior Coaches reported a positive change in their relationships with peers through positive social connections. Junior Coaches have also reported positive changes in empathy, critical thinking, and academic motivation as a result of their involvement in the program.

This school year, Playworks New England is ensuring more than 67,000 youth across the region experience safe and healthy play during and beyond the school day. The Junior Coach Graduation event was generously sponsored by New Balance Foundation and The Boston Foundation.

For more information, visit: www.playworks.org/newengland.

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