home

= = = Welcome to the Department of Play =

The Department of Play (DoP) is a working group of researchers, students, and community practitioners at the [|MIT Center for Future Civic Media] who share a common value: the design of new technology and methodologies to support youth as active participants in their local communities.

The Department of Play initiative aims to develop easy-to-use, open-source digital toolkits with corresponding curricula and pedagogical guidance to support youth-led active exploration, participatory learning, and civic engagement among children and adolescents in their neighborhoods. We've already got a few tools in development for capturing GIS maps using weather balloons & kites, using phone voicemail for organizing, and easy to use software to have youth add their own information and media on maps that document or re-conceptualize space in their neighborhoods. Full Description]

In our first year we have successfully:
 * Gathered like-minded researchers/activists in weekly meetings
 * Formed a community working group in Boston, including local activists, educators, researchers, students, and community practitioners, to discuss approaches to youth engagement, explore opportunities and challenges in the field, and collaborate on new tools/curriculum
 * Developed a "neighborhood explorers' toolkit" with 2-3 new technology tools and corresponding curriculum and aids
 * Developed individual projects that share resources. Summer 2010 initiatives included work with community partners in West Bank, Gaza, in Brazil, and Boston

Interested in joining? Contact departmentofplay@media.mit.edu or dop@media.mit.edu.

media type="custom" key="7963500"