Education is still in recovery following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the leadership of CEO Susan McIsaac, Right To Play International has been evolving its programming to meet children's needs, address learning loss, and build critical holistic
and life skills. In answering several questions about the work of the organization, Susan reflects on the past three years of leadership and learning, and the ways that the organization is harnessing technology to help children keep playing and thriving.
Tell me about Right To Play’s mission and work.
Right To Play is a global organization that protects, educates, and empowers children to rise above adversity using the power of play.
Play is a transformative force in a child’s life. It’s how children explore the world, articulate their dreams, build confidence, make friends, and grow into thriving adults.
For more than 20 years, we’ve used all forms of play – games, sports, creative play, and free play – to help children living in some of the most difficult places on earth to stay in school, resist exploitation, overcome prejudice, prevent disease, and heal from the trauma of war.
What is it about play that makes it such a powerful tool for education and development?
Play helps create the positive and engaging environment children need to learn their best. We train teachers to use play-based learning and create fun and inclusive learning experiences for their students. In playful classrooms, children become active participants in their learning, express their ideas and creativity, and connect with their peers. Play ignites a love of learning that motivates children to stay in school, graduate, and become empowered to pursue opportunities.
We also put our focus on using play to improve children’s socio-emotional and life skills, like critical thinking, decision-making, conflict resolution, and communication. A holistic approach to education is more important than ever in today’s complex and fast-changing world. Children need to be able to develop academically and also develop the foundation of skills they need to thrive in life.
Millions of students experienced a seismic shift in how they learn during the COVID-19 pandemic. How did this affect Right To Play’s education programming?
Many children we work with have fought hard for the chance to go to school and stay there. And while a number of students around the world were able to shift toward online learning during the pandemic, that option remained out of reach for many of the learners in countries where we work. Many are among the over one billion school-aged children who don’t have an internet connection in their home. When schools shut down, education – and the protective space schools offer – was suddenly out of reach.
While we didn’t shift to digital learning, we couldn’t let students miss out on their education. I’m proud of the work our teams did to keep children active and learning using radio, television, and community outreach. In
In playful classrooms, children become active participants in their learning, express their ideas and creativity, and connect with their peers.
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