William G. Paden Elementary School, Alameda

Play theorist Brian Sutton-Smith concluded, ‘The opposite of play is not work–the opposite of play is depression.’ While research supports this, traditional schools continue to treat play as frivolous and double down on the pressure to raise students’ standardized test scores. Meanwhile, teachers are leaving the profession and students are experiencing increasing anxiety and depression. Our team wants time to dive into play research and support each other in our efforts to infuse our classrooms with the choice, wonder, and delight found in playful learning environments in order to increase student engagement and learning while improving mental health for students and teachers alike.

Important Dates

Oct 6—Nov 14, 2022,10am PST LOIs Accepted for 2023 Grant Cycle (rolling submissions)
By mid-Dec 2022 Invitations to Apply Extended to Selected LOI Submissions
Spring 2023 LIGHT Awards Grants Made

Keep In Touch

Sign up for occasional email updates from the LIGHT Awards program. We’ll let you know about approaching deadlines, provide application tips, and share what our grantees are doing.

Copyright ©Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation. All rights reserved. LIGHT Awards is a program of Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation, San Francisco, CA. Website by Garnet Creative.

Contact us at info(at)lightawards.org or use our contact form.