About
Our vision is to expand education equity by integrating playful learning into all affordable housing.
Yet many children don’t have access to high-quality learning opportunities and lag behind in school readiness, academic performance, and social-emotional well-being. These disparities remain concentrated along racial, ethnic, and economic lines. We need to ensure that all children have access to opportunities that help them reach their full potential.
Education is the most powerful engine for social mobility.
Did you know? 80% of a child’s time is spent outside the classroom.
To create relevant and engaging playful learning spaces in both existing and new affordable housing developments.
To expand education equity for resident families and children, providing valuable skill-building opportunities and increasing school readiness.
To increase social cohesion through meaningful community engagement.
To train developers and designers to use playful learning methodologies.
To build a constituency who understands and values playful learning in everyday design, and who can advocate for the inclusion of playful learning in design guidelines and RFPs locally, regionally, and nationally.
Goals
Values
We believe:
Learning should be joyful and playful.
Children should have opportunities for learning outside of the classroom: at their homes and in public spaces.
Playful learning environments should provide skill-building opportunities and increase school readiness for children ages 0–8.
Residents and other community stakeholders should be co-creators of the design, so that playful learning environments reflect their values and cultures.
Have a question about Live and Learn?
How can we turn everyday play into joyful learning?
With our Live and Learn initiative, we are building playful learning into the design and construction of affordable housing developments, beginning with two pilot sites in Philadelphia. Playful learning environments are public spaces designed to help children learn while playing, based on the science of how children learn best.
Together with community residents, we are co-creating environments that reflect the values and cultures of those communities. We are transforming indoor and outdoor common areas into engaging playful learning spaces that spark crucial skill-building and social-emotional growth.
We envision a new paradigm for affordable housing development where playful learning is the standard. Through Live and Learn, we are expanding educational equity by providing playful learning opportunities where children live.