Voices for Play Equity

Social support networks

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Children of color are twice as likely to live in areas with subpar park space and attend underfunded and under-resourced public schools. Programs that support health, wellness and mental well-being such as physical education and other enrichment programs have been defunded. However, access varies across race and socioeconomic class, and those at greatest risk for poor health and wellness outcomes often have the least access to opportunities. As such, Black and Latinx youth have elevated rates of stress, anxiety and depression. Physical education is a social justice issue, and a crucial part of every child’s life. Together with coaches, kids, parents, schools, athletes, and volunteers, we strive to lift up those who value sport as a vehicle to increase physical activity; promote academic, social-emotional development; and teach kids the value of fair play, compassion and respect. An investment in quality sport and play programs for our youth is an investment in the future of society

In Los Angeles, over 15 million youth live in poverty. Children of color are twice as likely to live in areas with subpar park space and attend underfunded and under-resourced public schools. Programs that support health, wellness and mental well-being such as physical education and other enrichment programs have been defunded. However, access varies across race and socioeconomic class, and those at greatest risk for poor health and wellness outcomes often have the least access to opportunities. As such, Black and Latinx youth have elevated rates of stress, anxiety and depression.
Physical education is a social justice issue, and a crucial part of every child’s life. Movement, sports, and play are essential elements to healthy child development, promoting personal agency, academics, and advocacy. Together with coaches, kids, parents, schools, athletes, and volunteers, we strive to lift up those who value sport as a vehicle to increase physical activity; promote academic, social-emotional development; and teach kids the value of fair play, compassion and respect. All children, regardless of race or background, deserve access and opportunity to achieve at high levels — and an investment in quality sport and play programs for our youth is an investment in the future of our society.

The Voices for Play Equity initiative represents a commitment to the future of our children and communities. It is a journey towards a more inclusive and equitable world of play and sports. Through this collaborative initiative, we anticipate successful advocacy that increases public resources to increase sport, play, and movement opportunities for children throughout California. We envision a future where play equity is a reality, supported by inclusive communities, enriched sports-based youth development programs, and a strong advocacy presence at all levels.
We will leverage the platform and advocacy expertise of Play Equity Fund to build a robust network of sports-based youth development organizations spanning grass-tops and grassroots advocacy to impact meaningful policy efforts throughout LA. We will use grassroots community engagement and building, to strengthen our LA coalition, and to enhance the quality and inclusiveness of play-based and sports programs across LA.

In coalition building, process evaluation will be critical to continually uncover new learnings that improve the practice of creating and maintaining coalitions as well as the statewide advocacy agenda.
We anticipate the following outputs as measures of progress over the next three to five years: · The development of a Los Angeles coalition with at least six local organizations actively participating in coalition activities.
· The development of local advocacy agendas and action plans reflective of needs in LA
· An increase in awareness of the play equity gap, resulting from storytelling and communications, and media content.
· An increase in public funding for sport-based youth development at both the local/regional level and statewide.
· The development of a collaborative with representation from all regional coalitions that convenes regularly