Good Works Lab

27/08/2024

PLAY TRAVERSE CITY + YOUR ORGANIZATION?

What is Play Traverse City?

Play Traverse City is a community of individuals and organizations that care about increasing opportunities for play, physical activity, and movement in partnership with schools in Northern Michigan’s capital.

Why Play Traverse City?

Like pencils, crayons, and other school supplies, recess/rec-time supplies (such as balls, jump ropes, hula hoops, and sidewalk chalk) are essential for elementary schools.

Despite the best efforts by PTOs, some schools struggle to keep supplies on the playground.

Play Traverse City aims to build a community to help fill this gap.

Current Participating Schools:

• Central Grade School

• Central High School

• Long Lake

• TCAPS Montessori

• West Middle

All Traverse City schools are welcome to participate.

Play Traverse City + Your Org Partnership:

1. Your org adopts one (or more) schools above

2. Your org purchases supplies from the school’s wishlists

3. Your org staff and Play TC coordinator deliver supplies to the school

4. Repeat next year (hopefully)

06/11/2023

Student leaders are taking over Elevate Northern Michigan #5: A Mental Health Summit for Young Leaders (and Those Who Love Them) on November 29th at NMC.

And 100% of community members' ticket fees (just $8!) will support their school-based, student-led, peer-to-peer mental health programs.

Tickets in bio.

23/10/2023

Mentors modeling healthy eating alongside elementary students in the cafeteria is a gold standard re: school health & wellbeing system change.

Do you like to:

- eat yummy, nutritious food?

- play and have fun during recess?

- help our kids succeed?

Join TCAPS Lunch Buddies in bio.

20/10/2023

⚽️🏈🏐🏀🤼‍♀️🎿Coach Traverse City is a new community of quality adults who help coach youth elementary school-based sports in Northern Michigan's capital.

Why Coach Traverse City?

Many school-based elementary spots are coached by parents of kids who play.

Sometimes, parents cannot coach because of work/family/other commitments.

Teams have been canceled recently because there hasn't been anyone to coach.

Coach Traverse City aims to build a community of quality coaches who can step in to coach when needed.

How does Coach Traverse City work?

1. Sign up to volunteer below by selecting the school, sport, and age you'd like to coach.

2. We'll contact you when a school-based coaching need arises that fits your preference. Coaches that match the need can accept or decline the offer. If you accept, we'll connect you with the school sports coordinator.

3. Coach, have fun, teach skills, and make a difference in our kids' lives.

Join Coach Traverse City in bio.

02/10/2023

We're two sleeps away from the big day.

Thank you for committing to take the awesome way to school this Wednesday.

Quick update:

1. Walk meet-ups:

As of this morning, we know of these schools that have organized meet-ups for families to walk to school together - FUN!:

- TCAPS Montessori - meet at Botanic Gardens @ 7:50 am

- West Middle School - meet at the West side YMCA, far side of the parking lot, next to the Buffalo Ridge Trail @ 7:15 am

- Eastern - meet at Clancy Park @ 8:30 am

- Old Mission Peninsula School - meet at Peninsula Library @ TBD

If you know of others or would like to organize one for your school, please let me know, and I'll add it to the website goodworkslab.org/walk

2. We currently have kids from 8 schools participating:

- Central Grade
- Cherry Knoll
- Eastern
- Old Mission Peninsula
- TCAPS Montessori
- Traverse Heights
- West Middle
- Willow Hill

which represents 18 classrooms.

If you support happy, healthy kids walking to school, please help us double these numbers by sharing TC Walks To School Day (graphic below) with your friends.

10/04/2023

Spring + Recess + Swings = ❤️

Are you a caring adult who:

- likes to have fun and play?
- likes to help our kids succeed?
- has an hour to give during lunch this spring?

Super fun, easy and impactful lunch recess programs are now happening at Traverse Heights Elementary and Central Grade School.

Get involved: bit.ly/3Zpokxj

12/02/2023

Two tomorrow.

Two Thursday.

See you at one?

Live TC is a pro-housing citizen-led movement with one agenda and one agenda only: to advocate for abundant homes on Traverse City’s eight square miles.

08/02/2023

We have a new date for Elevate Northern Michigan #3: next Tuesday, February 14th, Valentine's Day.

Same time: 1-2:30pm

Same place: Northwestern Michigan College's Innovation Center (thank you, NMC - and go Hawk Owls!)

Same four rockstar speakers: Thank you, Jessie, John, Shandy, and Ty.

Same mission: Boost knowledge, decrease stigma, shift attitudes, and build sport for a Northern Michigan where everyone plays a role in protecting our young people's mental health.

Registration is bio.

02/02/2023

In-person registration is sold out but virtual seats are still available for .fight.nomi’s youth mental health summit at Northwestern Michigan College next Tuesday.

Grab a seat in bio.

31/01/2023

Elevate Northern Michigan is next Tuesday and our speaker lineup is STACKED.

In-person registration at NMC is sold out but there are virtual seats still available for the live stream.

Grab one here: goodworkslab.org/elevate

19/01/2023

Curious about Civic Saturdays Traverse City #1 this Saturday?

Watch this "What ordinary people need to understand about power" TED Talk by Eric Liu of Citizens University: http://bit.ly/3XIKQ3y

13 people are registered for this Saturday at 2pm at NMC's Innovation Center. Space for 8 more.

Registration is free but required due to limited space: goodworkslab.org/saturdays