What US Play Coalition does

The U.S. Play Coalition is a partnership organization established in 2009 to promote the value of play throughout life. Operating as a program of Indiana University's Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands and headquartered in Bloomington, Indiana, the Coalition functions as an advocacy and research convener rather than a commercial enterprise. Its primary activity is the annual National Conference on the Value of Play, which brings together approximately 300 play researchers, educators, health scientists, park and recreation professionals, landscape architects, designers, planners, business and community leaders, psychologists, physicians, and parents from around the world for knowledge dissemination and networking.

The Coalition's product portfolio centers on the annual conference as its flagship offering, complemented by the Online Play Facilitation Training program, the Play Date Tour (a multi-location touring education program), Action and Research Grants supporting play research, and curated Research Resources. The organization maintains several award programs, including the Joe L. Frost Award for Distinguished Research (inaugurated 2017), the Stephanie P. Garst Distinguished Service Award (inaugurated 2024), and — until 2022 — the CULI Youth Development Practitioner Award co-presented with Clemson University's Learning Institute. The Coalition's offerings are not technology-based; there is no proprietary software platform or AI capability underlying its operations.

From a business model perspective, the Coalition generates conference registration revenue and is sustained through its institutional affiliation with Indiana University. No revenue figures, customer counts, or pricing details are publicly disclosed. The organization operates without private equity backing and is governed under Indiana University's infrastructure. Its go-to-market motion is event-driven, anchored by the annual conference, with supporting digital channels including its website, an Indiana University-hosted blog, and active social media presence across Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Name

US Play Coalition

Legal name

U.S. Play Coalition

Website

https://usplaycoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The U.S. Play Coalition is an advocacy and research organization, founded in 2009, that convenes play researchers, practitioners, and families around the annual Conference on the Value of Play and complementary training, grants, and awards programs as a program of Indiana University's Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Development and Research Advocacy

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Family, Kids & Education Fairs (MPAGAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs) (MPAKAFAF)

Keywords

• Play advocacy
• Research coalition
• Educational conferences
• Professional training
• Play research grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Clemson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The US Play Coalition is a partnership that promotes the value of play throughout life. It operates an annual national conference (Conference on the Value of Play), online play facilitation training programs, a touring play education program (Play Date Tour), and action & research grants, while recognizing contributions to the play movement through annual awards.

Product overview

US Play Coalition is a professional organization and program of The Eppley Center for Parks and Public Lands at Indiana University, dedicated to promoting the value of play. The organization operates as an educational and advocacy coalition rather than a technology company, offering a unified portfolio of programs centered on the National Conference on the Value of Play as its primary offering, supplemented by Online Play Facilitation Training, the Play Date Tour, Action & Research Grants, and recognition through the Joe L. Frost Award and Stephanie P. Garst Distinguished Service Award. The Coalition serves researchers, educators, health professionals, park and recreation managers, designers, and community leaders working in the play field.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Joe L. Frost Award for Distinguished Research: Annual award recognizing outstanding play research, named after Dr. Joe L. Frost.
• Stephanie P. Garst Distinguished Service Award
• CULI Youth Development Practitioner Award
• Conference on the Value of Play

Products and services

• National Conference on the Value of Play Annual educational conference bringing together leading play researchers, educators, health scientists, park and recreation professionals, landscape architects, designers, planners, business and community leaders, psychologists, physicians, and parents to share the latest research and practices in the field of play. Held at Indiana University Bloomington.
• Online Play Facilitation Training Training program designed to educate professionals and practitioners on facilitating play experiences for children and adults across various settings, accessible through the Coalition's website.
• Play Date Tour A touring program bringing play-focused educational experiences and resources to various locations, promoting play advocacy and best practices.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Clemson University's Learning Institute (CULI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The U.S. Play Coalition partnered with Clemson University's Learning Institute from 2017-2022 to present the Youth Development Practitioner Award, recognizing outstanding performance in the creation and implementation of youth development programs or services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kaboom!: A larger national nonprofit focused on playground building and equitable access to play for kids. Comparable because both operate as play-advocacy organizations in the U.S. and engage parks/recreation professionals, though Kaboom! emphasizes capital projects over research.
• National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA): The largest U.S. membership organization for park and recreation professionals, hosting an annual conference and certification programs. Comparable because park and recreation professionals form a key audience for the US Play Coalition's conference and training.
• Playworks: A national nonprofit that brings play into low-income elementary schools through trained coaches. Comparable as a U.S.-based play-advocacy and practitioner-training organization, but focuses on direct service delivery rather than convening researchers.
• The Strong National Museum of Play: A Rochester, NY-based museum and research institution dedicated to the study and celebration of play. Comparable as an academic-adjacent organization convening play research and public engagement, but operates as a permanent venue and archives rather than an annual conference model.

Emerging players

• Let Grow: A nonprofit co-founded by Peter Gray (Boston College) and Lenore Skenazy promoting free, unsupervised childhood play and independence. Comparable as an advocacy organization closely linked to play research, overlapping with US Play Coalition award recipients.
• Natural Learning Initiative (NC State University): Directed by Robin C. Moore (a Joe L. Frost Award recipient in 2021), this NC State initiative researches outdoor play environments for children and families. Comparable as a university-anchored play research and design organization overlapping in academic networks.

Regional players

• Play England: A U.K.-based charity advocating for children's play, offering practitioner training and publishing play policy resources. Highly comparable structure (coalition-style advocacy, training, resources, conferences) but primarily serves the United Kingdom rather than North America.

Others

• American Camp Association (ACA): A national membership association supporting organized camp and youth development, running conferences and accreditation. Comparable in structure (annual conference, awards, training, youth-development audience) but oriented toward camp operations rather than play research.

Direct peers

• National Institute for Play: A nonprofit founded by Stuart Brown (himself a Joe L. Frost Award recipient in 2020) that advocates for the importance of play across the lifespan. Highly comparable mission, similar research-to-advocacy positioning, and overlapping academic networks in the U.S. play field.
• International Play Association (IPA): An international NGO promoting the child's right to play, hosting world congresses and producing position statements on play policy. Comparable as a global convener running periodic conferences, awarding recognition, and engaging both researchers and practitioners in play advocacy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usplaycoalition
• Facebookfacebook.com/usplaycoalition
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2449467
• Instagraminstagram.com/usplaycoalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about US Play Coalition