Brookside Community Play was created out of Brookside Community Church’s desire to address the need for true youth development in the neighborhood. More than just academic remediation and homework help, Brookside Community Play uses the power of play to create a safe environment where every child has the opportunity to experience caring adult relationships as they learn to be the individual that God has created them to be. For elementary-aged children, we focus on character development, exposure to new play opportunities, and overcoming trauma by teaching resiliency. For middle school and high school students, we instill hope and Gospel-mindedness through education and employability.
Brookside Community Play is gearing up for Indy Summer Learning Labs! Register your child that is entering into the 3rd grade - 7th grade HERE
290 children served
through our programs in 2023
62 volunteers
made a difference in 2023
84% improved socio-emotionally
As evidenced by Devereux assessments
Why play works
Research has shown that children living in low-income neighborhoods are subjected to childhood trauma on a daily basis. Whether it’s having a family member incarcerated, wondering where their next meal will come from, or being a victim of abuse or neglect, our children have the deck stacked against them. Instead of focusing on the academic issues our children face, Brookside Community Play addresses the core issues instead of the symptoms. Through play, children move past survival mode into a mentality of development. Through play, we’re seeing lives of children changed every year as more than 290 students participate in our afterschool and summer programs. In 2023, we saw that 84% of our participants experienced socio-emotional growth through our programming.
Here’s what we do
Brookside Community Play serves kids in 1st-12th grade through our afterschool programming. We run sessions of the After School Play program for elementary students throughout the academic year. Teenagers in 7th-12th participate in our year-round Education & Employment Academy. We also offer summer programs that include Summer Play, which takes place every Tuesday night in June and July at Brookside Park, as well as Indy Summer Learning Labs, which is a five week program that we host in the summer for children.
Visit brooksideplay.org to learn more.
