We learn when we play
We believe that learning is happening everywhere, all of the time!
As Playground City, we see that the people and places of our cities are connected together, like an education ecosystem, providing rich and meaningful opportunities for learning! Our mission is to help empower folks of all ages to access this learning through playful design.
To do this, we celebrate empathy, experimentation, and imagination - challenging ourselves to understand the aspirations of our learners and co-create enriching, exciting experiences with them!
We believe that play enables people to learn in diverse and complex ways and the challenges we will face in the 21st Century require diverse and complex solutions!
What We Do
DESIGN LEARNING ADVENTURES
We believe that play enables people to realize their full learning potential. We design and curate playful educational experiences that connect student interests with 21st Century skill building and competencies.
PROMOTE EDUCATION PLACEMAKING
Learning can happen anywhere! From bus stops to laundromats, we dream of ways to infuse education into everyday places and spaces. In Barbershop Talk we blended a non-violent communication curriculum with barber training set in a live barbershop environment.
grow learning networks
We support an open group of interconnected, creative, and innovative people and organizations throughout the Orlando area, working with organizations like the Orlando Science Center, After School All Stars, and National Center for Simulation Workforce Development.
Our Team
KELSEY KERCE
Kelsey is a learner. She loves listening to experts, enthusiasts, and the curious minded. Kelsey's job is to discover what it is that inspires young people to move from "hanging out' to "geeking out;" communicate that back to the curriculum writers; and then tell the story of the process to community partners, stakeholders, and philanthropists.
HANAH MURPHY
Hanah lives by the design principle of embracing ambiguity. Hanah will never say “no” to an idea or opportunity for connection because the only risks are from the opportunities you don’t take! She believes communities develop their own perfect web of assets, people, and places, and connecting all of those dots is what is exciting about Playground City. Curriculum writer is Hanah’s gig, and she loves being involved in the process of developing an idea, no matter how ambiguous, into action that translates to empowering youth and communities through learning.
MOLLY DELAHUNTY
Molly is a strategic and analytical thinker who has diverse experience in nonprofit communications, consulting, public affairs, and commercial real estate. She believes we can solve complex social problems when we work collaboratively and think creatively across sectors. Molly focuses on Playground City’s sustainability strategy including fund development and grant writing.
WES SHAFFER
Wes loves cities, education, and bicycles - Playground City lets him smoosh these things together like a fresh s’more. Wes focuses primarily on designing playful curriculum and spaces that evoke curiosity in people. Wes obsesses with ideation, sometimes to a fault, so if you're ever interested in bouncing some ideas around over coffee, hit Wes up!
DEANDRE KEMP
Deandre has a passion for health and empowering communities to thrive. He believes that promoting lifelong learning is essential for building a healthy community. Deandre loves using human-centered design because it brings people to the forefront of design and acknowledges that every neighborhood has assets on which they can build their ideal community.
KELLY CLARKE