Relationship to Ensure More Children Around the Country Have
Access to Play
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Mattel,
Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) today announces a national partnership with the
leading organization leveraging the power of play, Playworks,
to bring play to more children and communities across the nation.
Through volunteerism, community service and direct funding, Mattel, with
Playworks, will ensure underprivileged children have the access, tools
and ability to enjoy the benefits of play.
A Playworks Junior Coach gets all the kids on the playground involved in an active game (Photo: Business Wire)
This press release has an accompanying Smart Marketing Page providing
further details about the organization, products and services introduced
below. You can access the Smart Marketing Page via the following link: http://www.businesswire.com/smp/mattel-playworks-partnership/.
Playworks is an organization that works on-site with low-income schools
to create a powerful and positive play system that promotes learning and
development, teaches teamwork and expands social skills. Through a model
known as the "Junior Coach" program, Playworks encourages teams of
students to understand fair play, conflict resolution and more.
Currently, Playworks is in 320 schools and 23 cities around the nation.
In partnership with Mattel, Playworks plans to expand the program to
even more schools around the nation, providing children in some of the
most underserved neighborhoods with an opportunity to take play to the
next level.
The partnership with Playworks marks the seventh signature philanthropic
partner for Mattel. Over the next two years, Mattel has pledged more
than $1 million from the Mattel
Children's Foundation to support Playworks initiatives.
"Today, millions of children lack enriching play experiences because of
various barriers, such as the lack of safe places or tools to play. Our
goal with the Playworks partnership is to help break down these barriers
and reinstate play as a fundamental right of childhood and an invaluable
building block for emotional and physical development," said Deidre
Lind, executive director of philanthropy
programs at Mattel.
In addition, Mattel and Playworks plan to pilot the Playworks model
internationally by training Mattel employees in other countries to bring
healthy, inclusive play to schools in communities where they live and
work.
"We are excited to partner with Mattel to expand play to new places,"
said Jill Vialet, founder and CEO of Playworks. "Mattel is our first
national partner and is a powerhouse company with a long and proven
commitment to play. With their help, we hope to make 2012 the best year
for play yet."
Mattel and Playworks recently conducted a live chat on Facebook
underscoring the importance and power of play. Hosted by ModernMom.com
and moderated by Jess
Weiner, author and confidence expert, Mattel's resident "Dr. of
Play," Michael Shore, Ph.d., and Vialet sat down to discuss constructive
play tips for both parents and kids that help bolster confidence and
make playtime at school and home more effective. To view an archived
version of the discussion please visit http://www.facebook.com/Mattel.
"Play is a key ingredient for raising a healthy, confident child," said
Jess Weiner, author and confidence expert. "Play allows you to stretch
your imagination, expand your vision, and enhance your quality of
relationships. Parents can use play as a basic connecting tool with
their children - even as they advance into the teen years, and
maintaining a healthy playful relationship can actually help navigate
even the trickiest of teen dynamics. Play is the universal bridge
between our hearts, minds and souls - and it helps build confidence by
allowing safe boundaries and limitless opportunities for
self-expression."
In 2011, Mattel maintained its commitment to contribute 2% of pretax
profit toward social impact efforts for the eighth year in a row. This
year marked more than $20 million in cash and product donated to
philanthropic programs like Playworks, Save the Children and the
American Red Cross Disaster Response, Special Olympics World Games and
more.
About Mattel
As the worldwide leader in play, the Mattel
family comprises such best-selling brands as Barbie®,
the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot
Wheels®, American
Girl® and Fisher
Price® brands, which includes Little
People®, Power
Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. In
2011, Mattel was named as one of FORTUNE Magazine's "100
Best Companies to Work For" for the fourth year in a row, and was
also ranked among Corporate Responsibility Magazine's "100
Best Corporate Citizens." With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo,
Calif., Mattel employs approximately 31,000 people in 43 countries and
territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. At Mattel, we
are "Creating the Future of Play." Follow Mattel on www.facebook.com/mattel
and www.twitter.com/mattel.
About Playworks
Playworks is a national nonprofit organization that provides safe,
healthy, inclusive play and physical activity to schools at recess and
throughout the entire school day. Founded in 1996, Playworks is the only
nonprofit organization in the country to send trained, full-time adults
to low-income, urban schools. By 2015, Playworks will serve more than
650 schools in 27 US cities. In addition to its direct services, Playworks
Training provides training and technical support for schools,
districts and other organizations that wish to incorporate play into
their day. For more information, visit www.playworks.org.
MAT-P
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50082909&lang=en
Mattel
Jules Andres
310-252-3529
jules.andres@mattel.com
or
Playworks
Cindy
Wilson
510-768-7358
cwilson@playworks.org
Source: Mattel
News Provided by Acquire Media
