TrainingGrounds Expands to New Orleans East
The organization TrainingGrounds will be opening its second WE PLAY center at the East New Orleans Regional Library on December 13, 2023. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony held at the library, located at 5641 Read Blvd., on December 8 at 10 a.m.
TrainingGrounds' WE PLAY Centers are free and safe learning spaces focused on play, and do so by providing age appropriate toys and activities for children. Here, newborns and children up to the age of three will engage in quality playtime with their caregivers.
The WE PLAY centers work to support parents and caregivers by creating nurturing bonds and fostering healthy brain development in children. The center supports parents and caregivers by creating nurturing bonds and fostering healthy brain development in children. This learning space also helps to develop language, social, and emotional skills.
For the Children
There are few places located in New Orleans East that provide free learning opportunities to children of early ages, but the WE PLAY Center is working to fill that void. The new expansion with the New Orleans Public Library is a milestone for TraningGrounds and its commitment to New Orleans. Now that there will be two WE PLAY Center locations, so more parents with infants or toddlers have the opportunity to receive support, information, and knowledge during the first years of their parenting journey so their children can thrive.
"We are thrilled to partner with the New Orleans Public Library to locate a We PLAY Center inside the East New Orleans Regional Library," said TrainingGrounds' co-founder and Executive Director Melanie Richardson in a press release. "This expansion reflects our vision for communities where sustainable, effective, child-centered early learning experiences engage parents, families, and caregivers with young children in ways that lead to healthy social development and educational success from birth to adulthood...we look forward to working closely with our supporters and the local community to ensure a village of care exists that nurtures both caregivers and children so our community can prosper."
Christine McCourtney is the head of early childhood literacy for the New Orleans Public Library and also expressed that this partnership is a natural one.
"The Library believes in helping parents and caregivers raise readers together. We are committed to providing support from the very beginning of children's early learning to years beyond. When partnering with organizations that are focused on early childhood learning, we are able to increase access to quality programs, services, and resources that support the early literacy practices and the development of pre-reading skills. We understand the importance of play and providing engaging and educational environments for parents and children to learn together. Which is why we could not be happier partnering with Training Grounds to open their WE PLAY Center at our East New Orleans Regional Library. Their mission aligns perfectly with our strategic goals to strengthen early childhood literacy. We cannot wait to see how positively this partnership impacts our city's children," said McCourtney in a press release.
Free Play
Since TrainingGrounds opened its doors in 2017, over 3000 children and their caregivers from New Orleans and surrounding parishes have participated in the WE PLAY programming. With this expansion, the WE PLAY Center's capacity will grow and offer additional "Play" and "Learn" sessions. The new location will be supplied with developmentally appropriate toys and play stations, as well as a staff of professional parenting educators that are dedicated to supporting parents with young children. Families that are a part of WE PLAY will also gain access to free programs and connections to community resources.
