Jill Vialet at TEDxSF: Now Press Play

Ashoka Fellow Jill C. Vialet is the founder and President of Playworks, whose mission is to improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play. Today, Playworks is the only nonprofit organization in the country providing trained, full-time play coaches focused on recess to hundreds of low-income schools in major urban areas. Playworks also provides training and technical assistance to schools, districts and youth organizations that wish to include inclusive, healthy play as part of a positive learning environment. (Video after the jump.)

Incredibly, 85 percent of principals report that students are more engaged in school since having Playworks on site. Playworks not only brings safe and healthy play to schools, but helps students succeed in the classroom by creating an environment that is more conducive to learning.

Jill's dream is to live in a world where people see problems but, more importantly, see creative solutions to those problems and have the determination to be the change and make a difference.

"While it's easy to dismiss play and recess as this sort of extra, frivolous thing, nothing could be further from the truth. It is absolutely essential that every kid in America gets to play every day, because that’s what it is going to take for them to develop the social skills they need to take the initiative, to drive their own destiny, and ultimately become the changemakers we so desperately need them to be."

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