Supporting Play and Intergenerational Relationships with Indigenous Traditions (SPIRIT) is a global collective of Indigenous groups in Australia, Canada, the United States and Aotearoa me te Waipounamu (New Zealand). Together, we are creating the conditions for Indigenous communities and families to flourish through play, intergenerational learning, and reclamation of cultural identity.
In December 2022, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health was named a top international winner of the LEGO Foundation Build a World of Play Challenge, a global initiative to fund bold, innovative, and impactful solutions focused on early childhood. The goal of our project, Reclaiming Indigenous Children’s Futures through Home-Visiting and Intergenerational Playspaces, was to promote Indigenous play, expand our Family Spirit early childhood home visiting program, and create Indigenous-designed community playspaces in 20 new Indigenous sites across the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Aotearoa (New Zealand).
To take this work around the globe, a partnership was formed with three Indigenous-led organizations, including: the First Nations Health Authority in Canada; Te Rōpū Rangahau Hauora a Eru Pōmare (The Eru Pōmare Māori Health) at University of Otago in Aotearoa (New Zealand); and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous Futures at the University of Queensland in Australia. Together, we seek bold solutions to reclaim strong families and strong autonomous Indigenous communities.
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