In a new study released Tuesday, Mathematica Policy Research and the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities at Stanford University rigorously evaluated the Playworks program and found that it improved outcomes in the areas of school climate, conflict resolution and aggression, physical activity, and learning and academic performance.
Playworks, a whole child partner organization, is a U.S-based nonprofit organization that transforms schools by providing play and physical activity at recess and throughout the school day. Currently, the program serves 360 schools in 22 cities across the country, reaching nearly 270,000 students. Its goal is to increase efforts to 27 cities by 2015, thereby providing play and physical activity to more than 1 million students every day.
Key findings in the study include:
- Less bullying. Teachers in Playworks schools reported significantly less bullying and exclusionary behavior during recess