PlayBuild Nola

Building community and inspiring minds, block by block, since 2012.

PlayBuild transforms urban spaces into dynamic play and learning environments to empower kids to design their futures.

2023 UPDATE

Turning vacant lots into outdoor classrooms

We work at the neighborhood scale and citywide in New Orleans to create inspiring, creative, and safe environments for 4-12 year-olds and their caregivers and to advocate for child-friendly urban infrastructure.

In the Neighborhood

Since 2012 our Central City play space has hosted after-school programs, weekend family events, seasonal celebrations, and summer camps. In the next 5 years, we plan to expand beyond Central City by identifying other high-need communities where we can replicate the PlayBuild model.
In the Community

In collaboration with a variety of cultural and institutional partners like the City of New Orleans Mayor’s Office of Youth and Families, we have programmed a diverse array of public spaces with hands-on play-to-learn activities.
Citywide Advocacy

In partnership with ARUP, the City of New Orleans, and the Tulane School of Architecture, we have mobilized a network of stakeholders to rethink urban planning through a youth-centric lens.

Building impact in our community

Since launch, we have engaged hundreds of neighborhood children and thousands more citywide through play-to-learn activities in our space, in local schools, and through community event outreach.

Schools have joined our programs