Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity Mission Statement:

PlayArts strives to provide a safe and inclusive space and develop thoughtful, socially conscious programming that celebrates diversity, embodies anti-racism and empowers our littlest citizens to be advocates and allies. We believe that this work must start from birth and the arts are a powerful tool in inspiring the next generation of global changemakers.

Action Plan

In an effort to better use our business platform toward positive social impact, PlayArts has developed the following Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.

 
 
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Integrate (1/5)

We have actively reworked our mission and philosophy statements to demonstrate our commitment toward diversity and inclusion initiatives. Additionally, we are developing structures (more on those below) that hold us accountable toward making a more deliberate, positive impact on social justice in our community.

 
 
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Educate (2/5)

We consistently examine and revisit our play-based arts curriculum to prioritize diversity, inclusion and anti-racism components at every age and developmental level that we teach. To this effort, we have developed a robust book collection for children, parents and teachers, and create lessons that include a broader, more diverse representation of artists and cultures.

 
 
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Connect (3/5)

We offer our venue for free or reduced cost as a community space for Black-allied, LGBTQ-allied and other social justice non-profits and organizations. Interested organizations can email us at info@playartsphilly.com. Additionally, we will continue to bring free arts programming to local offsite events and commit to expanding partnerships with community organizations that work directly toward anti-racism, diversity and inclusion efforts.

 
 
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Diversify (4/5)

We recognize that exposure to a diverse community is essential to our understanding, our growth and the success of our mission. We have revisited our policies, procedures and business practices to determine how to increase racial and socioeconomic diversity in our staff, client-base, and program enrollment. While we’ve made progress in this effort, we know this will be an ongoing process and have set an internal goal to provide scholarships to at least 20% of our total preschool enrollment by 2025.

 
 
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Dedicate (5/5)

Each year a portion of our proceeds goes toward initiatives that directly impact our Black neighbors and people of color in our community, including both local and national organizations and businesses that support the Black Lives Matter Movement. A percentage of our enrollment fees also goes toward diversity and inclusion professional development for teachers, multicultural curriculum resources and community outreach, such as providing AfterSchool scholarships to students in our neighborhood school, Moffet Elementary.

 

Have questions? Want to chat? Interested in connecting with us?

Please, let us know!

We look forward to connecting with our community and beyond as we implement these new initiatives.

Email: info@playartsphilly.com