Opportunities to Connect

The Conference on the Value of Play
February 6th-9th, 2011 at The Conference Center and Inn at Clemson University in beautiful Clemson, SC.
usplaycoalition.clemson.edu/conf2011.php

Dr. Joe Frost has described many of the problems that arise when people are deprived of opportunities to play. He indicated that the solutions to these problems are complex and will "require massive, coordinated effort." The Conference on the Value of Play is designed to provide a venue through which people and organizations can come together to learn from each other and to coordinate efforts to bring play back into the lives of people of all ages.

Who Should Attend?
If you value play then we want you to be with us for this important conference! US Play Coalition members include academics and professionals in fields including parks and recreation, education, and health, as well as parent advocacy groups and international organizations which advocate for the right to play. We also look forward to opportunities to partner further with landscape architects, government entities, and others who can help make play available to all. Collaboration is a key to our success, so we encourage everyone to attend and to bring with you your expertise and your own knowledge about the value of play.

Purpose of the Conference
Attendees at last year's Summit on the Value of Play developed specific action steps to bring play back and to help people of all ages have opportunities to play. The US Play Coalition was born from one of these action steps and it is our goal to provide a venue for organizations and individuals who value play to gather and work together—the Conference on the Value of Play is one such venue. Summit attendees also called for an accessible body of research and information in support of play. This conference will allow attendees to share their own research and to learn together. The Conference on the Value of Play will emphasize the health and educational implications of play while still focusing on the role of parks and recreation in facilitating play for all. More information, including a call for proposals, will be posted in the program information tab to the left. Watch this tab for more information on how to qualify for a $3,000 seed grant for future research.

usplaycoalition.clemson.edu/conf2011.php