SEL Awardee

Alisha Mihoda

Puente de Hozho
Flagstaff Unified School District
Flagstaff, AZ
“This grant provides us with the necessary funds to implement “Recess Reboot” through Playworks. Our school has three distinct language programs and we have been working to bring students from all of our language programs together in bridging cultures, languages and ethnicities. Our behavioral data is clear—over 90% of school conflicts come from our playground. This is a challenge especially because the students tend to play with students in their own language program (self-segregating), and unfortunately, we see negative interactions amongst our students. In class, however, these conflicts are incredibly rare. So what does mean? What we are teaching in our classrooms is not transferring to our unstructured play areas. “Recess Reboot” will help us bring activities and trained coaches onto our playground to help create an intentional space where children can learn to play in a collaborative, positive way with all of their peers, regardless of language or ethnicity, which is both the goal and challenge of our unique school.”
Tags: Community Engagement, Culturally Responsive Approaches, Elementary School, ELs, Housing Inequities, Indigenous Communities, Measurement, Mindfulness, New Arrivals, Outdoors, Restorative Practices, Student Leadership & Voice, Students with Disabilities, Teacher, Teacher Leadership, Urban, Use of Space