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Hello David,

Like you, we are very concerned as the spreading coronavirus impacts so many people, communities, and organizations across the country. Our priority is to take actions for everyone's safety. We are following CDC and state/local health agency guidelines and are partnering with schools with an aim of preventing the spread of the virus, while also caring for our employees and their families. Our actions include having employees work at home, changing policies and practices, and more.

While we join other organizations in changing the way we work for the coming weeks, there is one other thing we are putting in place that we hope will help families whose children are at home and the teachers scrambling to provide online classes. We'll be highlighting a series of Playworks games on our social media channels in the coming weeks. These will be games that can be played at home with a small number of children or larger groups in schools that are open. Follow along using #PlayworksAtHome and #PlayAtHome. Learn how to play Crack the Code now.

Hello David,

Playworks is mourning and protesting the unjust killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minnesota last week alongside all of you.

We all know this is only one in an untold number of black men and women who have suffered racist treatment by our nation - in 2020 and going back hundreds of years.

Systemic racism is not only a daily threat to the people of color in all of our communities, it is devastating for all of us who believe in justice for all and the value of every human being.

We cannot go back and change the actions that led to so many lives lost. But we can stand up, and say that this must stop. And we know that conversation alone is not enough.

Last year, we created an organization-wide Equity Team, with cross-functional representation. I am a member of that team. The Equity Team challenged all of our teammates to provoke honest and dynamic discourse on diversity and inclusion as a part of our organization-wide commitment to racial equity. We also challenged our teams to take action individually and collectively to create change.

Our Equity Team proposed that we make a series of commitments as an organization. Two of those commitments are top of mind for me in this moment. They reflect how intentional we will be to create sustainable change. 

• We will rigorously examine our practices, learn to recognize how our organization perpetuates inequitable norms, and establish decision-making and operational expectations that firmly act in opposition to inequity. 
• We will partner with divested communities where systemic racism has created so much inequity, and collaborating with them in decision-making as they are most directly affected.

Please join us as we take on this important work. Honest and dynamic dialogue will be essential on our collective path forward. Playworks is still early in our racial equity journey, and we know this work deserves our long-term commitment.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Cushing

Playworks President

Hello David,

As we all try to process the extremely troubling events in Washington DC this week, Playworks wants to express our deep appreciation to our nation's teachers and families. We see you caring for America's children and helping them grapple with what they saw. You are approaching hard conversations with kids to help them understand what took place and what it means for them and their families.

As an organization, we work every day to prepare kids to be empathic, kind, and confident in using their voices to influence their communities. We stand alongside you in our efforts to live up to the values of inclusion, respect, healthy community and healthy play.

Sincerely,

Playworks