Achieving Mental Health Through Play

Play Equity to Advance Mental Health (sponsored by the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative

A positive self-image, feeling secure, and being mentally healthy are essential for anyone to be happy and succeed. Sports and teamwork provide the environment for understanding, acceptance and belonging. COVID-19 denied students the in-school experience of learning together and developing social skills and friendships. Sports were cancelled. Classmates became strangers. Special needs students were further isolated by having no access to mainstreaming activities. Falling behind and being isolated from others leads to stress and anxiety, as evidenced by the higher suicide rates among young people. In a program of a four-hour weekly enrichment day, 90 students came to our YMCA. They participated in sports and non-academic teamwork STEAM activities, eliminating the stress and anxiety of academics. Students cheered each other on as they learned and improved their baseball, basketball, and swimming skills. Students listened to each other. New leaders emerged, and the feeling of belonging

Achieving Mental Health Through Play In a program of a four-hour weekly enrichment day, students will come to our YMCA. They will participate in sports and non-academic teamwork STEAM activities, eliminating the stress and anxiety of academics. Students will cheer each other on as they learn and improve their baseball, basketball, and swimming skills. Students will listen to each other. New leaders will emerge, and the feeling of belonging will replace the isolation that began with COVID-19. Their differences will become similarities as they mix with all age groups, including gifted and those with special needs. *Surrounding School Districts will be invited with transportation included to the YMCA. *Healthy, nutritional snacks and cooking classes will be offered *Yoga classes will teach the students how to breathe and cope with anxiety and stress. *Outside Play will include teaching Baseball skills and sportsmanship on and off the field. *Parent, Student, Staff and School District Surveys will evaluate the positives and what to improve on as we move forward to "Achieve Mental Health Through Play.

Non-academic enrichment for children provides a different arena for students to explore. Academic underachievers will face different challenges, working with others and achieving success. Those strong in academics will face challenges outside the box not found in books, depending on teammates, communicating, and coming up with new solutions. Sports and physical activities give students a different opportunity to excel. Excellence will come with the combined efforts of others; their accomplishments are dependent on the success of others. Encouraging and celebrating the achievements of others creates friendships and belonging. These activities bring students out of isolation to a place where they depend on others, and others depend on them. The feeling of belonging and self-worth grows. We have piloted such a program at our Y. Students learn to work together to successfully achieve challenges, becoming friends and feeling like a team. We want to give this opportunity to other schools.

9. Created from activities from many of our existing programs, a four-hour weekly enrichment class was piloted. Ninety students from a local elementary school were offered this enrichment program from 1:00-5:30 on their early dismissal days through a grant from the LA County Department of Education. Students from TK (Transitional Kindergarten) to 8th grade participated. Parents were delighted with our program, commenting that their children became more independent and confident and came home talking about friends and shared experiences. Children celebrated all successes and encouraged everyone to keep trying. Students are delighted to share the new cooking class experiences, yoga and sports skills. Students ranged from special needs to gifted: all were shown opportunity and respect, and nearly all completely blended into this program. Those learning basic sports skills helped one another. Children, arriving afraid of the water, showed pride in their developing swimming skills.