Three Ways Our Work Shows Up
We install fields
in schools and parks where safe, reliable play space doesn’t exist — turning underused or unsafe spaces into community assets.
We change policy
— lobbying for regulations that raise safety standards without eliminating access for the children who need it most.
We activate communities
Through partnerships with America Scores, Playworks, Boys & Girls Club, and Eat Learn Play, ensuring every field we build is alive with programming long after we’ve left the ribbon-cutting.
San Francisco, California
A schoolyard can be more than a place for recess. In San Francisco, Playing for Keeps and America SCORES Bay Area are working with school and community partners to expand access to welcoming play spaces and the programs that help young people grow.
Burckhalter Elementary was a classic play desert. Recess happened on an asphalt lot, like it does at thousands of elementary schools throughout the country. But asphalt is for cars, not kids. So we helped reimagine — and reinvigorate — that space.
The project was designed with five principles: community voice, environmental responsibility, injury prevention, educational alignment, and long-term programming. This wasn’t simply a field installation — it was the construction of a community system.
Today:
- Students access structured and unstructured play every day
- Community play days bring families together on weekends
- Youth sports clinics and league play run after hours
- A school and its neighborhood are more connected than they’ve ever been
“Beautiful, reliable play spaces build dignity and belonging. That’s not a side effect — it’s the whole point.”
When a sports field or play space opens, an entire community benefits — kids get active, parents get safe spaces for their children, and neighborhoods gain a gathering place that builds belonging for years to come.
In the Media
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