KOOP Vision for Parents in 2018
As Executive Director of KOOP Adventure Play, I spend a lot of time thinking about where the organization is going and what we should focus on. I also spend a lot of time chatting with parents and sharing that vision. Recently, I spoke with a couple parents who didn’t know that we want to have our own location someday. That felt crazy to me because it’s something our board talks about at each meeting and is one of our major goals. But since we don’t share that with the public, we can’t expect you to know! So here are the things that are at the forefront of my mind in the coming year: Cheers to a great 2018!
Spring break
We are renting an exciting new space for Spring Break camp! We can’t wait to see the kids have tons of fun here! More info is here.
Lots of free play opportunities this year!
KOOP is partnering with Urbana Park District, Urbana First Fridays, Champaign Park District and more great collaborators to bring you lots of pop up play events this summer! We are in the market for a trailer, so if you have any leads, let us know! Keep an eye on our facebook page for the most up to date info on our upcoming events!
Grants & Fundraising:
KOOP is writing grants for new and innovative programming in our communities and beyond! Do you know of fundraising possibilities or potential corporate sponsors? Do you have experience writing grants? Would you consider helping KOOP move forward? Email us!
Regional Hub for Adventure Play:
We are hosting a major conference on Prioritizing Play in our communities. The content will be broadly applicable and we are thrilled to see registration filling. This conference puts KOOP at the center of a regional hub for this type of Adventure Play and playwork philosophy. We’ll continue to grow and hopefully expand- even outside of CU!
Private events: birthday parties, rentals for church/synagogue/school activities
Another exciting way we are growing in 2018 is by offering private events. We’ve quietly done events at early childhood centers, birthdays, places of worship and schools over the past few years and are ready to publicize this offer! If your birthday party, large gathering, school or other event would like to book KOOP for a play event, email us!
New partnerships:
KOOP wants to collaborate with our community in fun and exciting ways. Parent workshops, team- building exercises, events at Museums, schools, libraries, or other non- profit collaborations are a great way for us to work towards our mission and create a culture that values play. Who do you know that might make a good partner for KOOP?
Summer Camp
This year KOOP is offering 8 weeks of summer camps! Still working on securing a location, but plan on us for June AND July!
KOOP Adventure Play(ground)
Imagine a plot of land and open space where children can use found materials to construct their own playground, develop a relationship with the space that doesn’t have to be put away each day and truly take ownership of the setting. Maybe a place where mom and dad can get a drink or have coffee and work on wifi while kids stay engaged and busy. We are so excited to be working towards a permanent location for our project! Keep an eye out for announcements and get in touch if you have any ideas to share!
Child- Friendly Cities:
What if our cities were nationally recognized for considering children and their play needs when planning city structure and policies? What could it look like to get our officials behind the idea of prioritizing children and their play in our city planning? Let’s continue to dream on this together and share ideas if this sparks a passion for you.
