Playworker

play:groundNYC is looking for part-time play staff who are enthusiastic, playful and patient to provide an engaging environment for young people attending the adventure playground on Governors Island as well as some off-site programming as part of our 2025 season.

Mission Statement: play:groundNYC is a non-profit organization dedicated to transforming the city through play. Our playworkers support young people’s play at our adventure playground — The Yard — and through partnerships with community organizations in diverse neighborhoods across New York City.

About The Yard play:groundNYC is preparing to reopen The Yard, New York City’s only adventure playground, on Governors Island for the 2025 season. At this unique play space, young people can imagine a world of their own making and experience self-directed play. Also referred to as the “junkyard playground,” our adventure playground lets young people shape their environment using an assortment of loose parts: materials, tools and objects.

Responsibilities:

Following 5-6 days of rigorous and paid training, responsibilities will include:

• Participate in caregiver activities. Offer material support when called upon by young people, and present ideas if asked, but be comfortable with them being rejected.
• Collaborate with the adventure playground team to document and reflect on play experiences through written assessments and team meetings.
• Attend monthly staff meetings which

might not take place on a day one otherwise works.

• Maintain the playground through active reporting of suggestions for improving the functioning of the playground to the Head Playworker and the Executive Director.
• Maintain the adventure playground site, including restocking and organizing materials as needed, making repairs, and identifying hazards, in cooperation with the play:groundNYC team.
• Routinely assess risk/benefit and inspect the space for safety, documenting findings and changes made in our risk/benefit assessment forms and site check logs.
• Represent play:groundNYC and educate parent visitors regarding the role of play in child development and the importance of child-directed activities during the school day and at home, and regarding the role of play in transforming our city.
• Occasionally serve as “front desk representative,” greeting families, maintaining waiver, safety and attendance protocols, answering questions, and soliciting donations.
• Facilitate and support play at off-site programming, such as play pop-ups in open streets and parks in New York City.

Characteristics of a playworker:

• A playworker is patient, reflective and playful.
• The role includes building trust with the young people on site by providing space for their exploration and experimentation. This includes the need to be able to respond to young people who exhibit difficult behavior with compassion rather than discipline.
• A playworker is extremely aware of the environment and all of the young people within it and is able to quickly assess risk versus hazard.
• A playworker MUST be comfortable with allowing young people to take risks and to provide feedback and guidance in a way that doesn't impede their play.

Experience / Qualifications:

• Have experience working with young people between the ages of six and fourteen.
• Experience as a playworker or knowledge of the playwork field is a bonus but not required.
• Experience with tools is desired.

• CPR / first aid certification preferred. It may be required for certain positions, in which case play:groundNYC will pay for the cost of certification.
• Spanish language proficiency is desired but not required.
• Fluency in other languages is an advantage.

• Be able to lift at least 35 lbs.

• Be punctual.

Prerequisites:

• This job entails working with young people in a messy setting. Playworkers will need to be comfortable getting dirty.
• Must be willing to work outside under all weather conditions.
• Must pass a background check.
• Must be willing to get and pass a medical examination from a licensed health care provider.
• Must be at least 18 years old.
• Must be comfortable with referring to people by their preferred pronouns.

Schedule: play:groundNYC seeks to hire for a variety of schedules including summer camp, after school and weekend play. The most competitive applicants will be able to work flexible schedules over the course of the season (March-November). Below are listed examples of schedules we will need to staff. These schedules may change.

• March:

Some site set-up support in 2nd half of March, dates tbc. Staff training spread over 2-3 days (online) in March and 3/29, 3/31 & 4/6 on site.

• April - June:

One consistent weekend day plus some sporadic (possibly regular) weekdays.

Late June, July and August: One weekend day and some weekdays during summer camp. All are consistent.

• September - mid November

: One consistent weekend day plus some sporadic (but possibly consistent) weekdays.

• End of November:

Several days of site break down and clean up.

If anything changes beyond our control (for example another citywide lockdown, the temporary closure of Governors Island, or a rise in infection rates) that makes it impossible for us to open The Yard, we reserve the right to postpone contracts and adjust schedules accordingly.

Compensation: Pay is $24.7-$27.25/hr commensurate with previous playwork experience.

play:groundNYC is an organization that prioritizes diversity, equity and justice. We strive towards building a culture of inclusiveness by supporting the recruitment and retention of a diverse team and by promoting an environment free from discrimination where all people are recognized as equals.

In accordance with state, federal and local laws, play:groundNYC aims to recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, national origin, genetic information, religious beliefs, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, pregnancy, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected classifications, activities, or conditions as required by law.

Please submit a recent resume along with a cover letter to yoni@play-ground.nyc by 11pm EST January 26th, 2025

Competitive applications will specifically address why training and working as a playworker in an adventure playground environment is appealing. They will also address their availability in March and early April.

Selected applicants will be asked to complete a Google Form with additional information; final candidates will be invited for an interview