As the school year picks up, so too do after-school programs. And with a new partnership, the National AfterSchool Association is making sure kids know there’s room for fun at the end of the school day.

NAA is working with The Genius of Play, an initiative of  The Toy Association, on a new ambassador program that will encourage NAA members to highlight and share the benefits of play with local communities, families, and those who work in the after-school industry.

NAA and The Genius of Play chose 20 Play Ambassadors to get the program going at the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Ambassadors will have access to research, expert tips, and ideas for play, many of which will be located at The Genius of Play website.

Anna Yudina,  director of marketing initiatives at The Toy Association, said in a news release that the partnership makes sense “as both organizations have children’s healthy development at its core.”

“We hope that the Play Ambassadors will serve as catalysts of the growing play movement by helping to educate parents and caregivers on the many benefits of play to child development and bringing more play to after-school programs, communities, and kids’ lives,” she added.

NAA President and CEO Gina Warner  welcomed the partnership as a way to “help the after-school professionals in our field build their skills and knowledge base in this area, while also expanding the message of the value and importance of play for all children.”

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