The staff at Patwin Elementary School noticed an interesting trend in their Youth Truth Survey results. As students moved up through the grades, they observed that fewer students had opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills and connect with peers across campus. Teacher Brooke Agee, and School Counselor Melinda Coates, felt that there was an opportunity to improve on this issue in order to meet the noble goals of the Patwin Mission: to foster a learning environment that respects diversity, engages students in challenging, creative and collaborative learning and prepares them to thrive in the 21st Century. So, in response, Brooke and Melinda brainstormed ideas and brought forth the idea of Patwin Play Clubs. Patwin Play Clubs harnesses student and teacher interests to develop cross-grade, exploratory learning experiences for students. Every other Wednesday, for thirty minutes, students participate in unstructured play in mixed-age groups with adult support. Each staff member hosts a Play Club and students sign up based upon interest for a six week experience. For example, students could join Ms. Brunelle to explore graphic novels and comics, or do paper art with Ms. Davis.

While originally piloted for just upper elementary students, Play Clubs have spread campus wide and the results have been impactful for students and staff. Students recognize and connect with each other on the playground by their talents and strengths, instead of avoiding interactions due to unfamiliarity. The doors become open for students to develop relationships with students not in their daily classes since they know each other in different ways. The collaboration and connections from Play Clubs have strengthened the community across the Patwin campus.

The outcomes of Patwin’s Play Clubs are strongly connected with the Collaboration and Adaptability and Resilience Outcomes of the DJUSD Graduate Profile. By playing in mixed groups, students learn to work effectively, respectfully and with empathy as they engage with each other based upon shared interests and team-oriented outcomes. This is present with older students who learn to be models for younger students, but it also allows younger students to shine as they are recognized for their strengths and talents. Students also learn to adapt to varied roles, responsibilities, and contexts

as they compromise, encourage and communicate amongst each other while engaging in creative, open-ended endeavors. Patwin Play Clubs help us all remember that some of the most important outcomes for students are not always achieved through structured lessons; rather, they can come from less structured opportunities and experiences that allow students to connect in authentic ways.
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"I did Free Drawing Club and Makerspace Club, and you can do whatever you want in those clubs. I liked both clubs because they were open-ended. There were a lot of things I could do. There weren't any limits. It made me feel really creative. I didn’t know who would be in the clubs. For free drawing I sat with new people who I had never talked with before. You could sit with whoever. We ended up talking a lot. In Makerspace, people worked together a lot and collaborated to make things."

- Eliza (6th grader)
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"It is inspiring to see students actively engaging and collaborating across all grade levels. Through shared interests, they build meaningful connections with new peers. The result is a strong, supportive community where empathy is growing, and respect is at the core of every interaction."

- Melinda Coates (Counselor)
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"My students always ask me, ‘Is it a Play Clubs day?’ They look forward to Play Clubs because they get to be creative and explore with other students in an unstructured, fun way. A lot of staff and students tell us that Play Clubs is one of their favorite things at Patwin.”

- Brooke Agee (5th grade teacher)