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Portland Staff

The Power of Play

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Bring Play To Your City

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The Hard Work of Play
The Monthly
School Hopes 'Recess Coach' Will Pay Off in Classroom
ABC News Nightline

Playworks was formerly Sports4Kids. Media coverage prior to July 2009 will list the organization as Sports4Kids.

The key to our success is the incredible enthusiasm and dedication of the Playworks staff. Meet some of the people who are bringing play to Portland. Please note: Our direct school programs are led by the efforts of our program coordinators in each school in each of the cities we serve. While they are too numerous to list here, they are essential to the success of the program.

 

Jonathan Blasher

Portland Executive Director
Playworks

 Portland Executive Director Jonathan Blasher is originally from Eugene, Oregon and has always enjoyed giving back to the community. Motivated by making a positive difference in the world, Blasher was attracted to Playworks with the idea of working with potentially "at-risk youth" at the elementary  age and providing positive guidance before their teenage years. He started with the organization in 2004 as an AmeriCorps program coordinator at Stege Elementary in Richmond, CA. He completed a second year at Stege before spending two years as a program manager and one year as a program director in the Bay Area before returning to his home state. When he's not using play as a vehicle for social change in schools and local communities he enjoys outdoor activities, spending time with his family and friends and enjoying good food and music.

Tara Doherty

Program Director
Playworks

Portland Program Director Tara Doherty recently returned from the 'wilds' of Alaska, and is excited to be a part of the Playworks family once again. She spent her first two years with the organization running super fun programming at Fairmont Elementary in El Cerrito, before becoming a program manager in Oakland. After living in Alaska for a year, she returned to Playworks in 2009 to help launch Portland operations, and served as program manager. Tara is continually impressed by the power of play, and is really looking forward to collaborating with fellow staff and community members in order to bring that play to the kids of Portland. Her favorite game is Knockout. She also digs live music.

Molly Moran

Program Manager
Playworks Portland

After graduating from the University of Montana, Molly Moran has been working with youth all over the country until settling in Portland, OR where she spent a year as a program coordinator at Markham Elementary. In her current role as program manager, Molly brings over ten years of experience in youth development as she sets out to support an amazing team of program coordinators. Molly is continuously amazed at the impact Playworks has not only within the schools, but on the community as well. As a PROUD Montana native Molly has a deep love for the mountains and spends all of her free time skiing and playing on the lake.

Doran Whipple

Program Associate
Playworks

Program Associate Doran Whipple is a native Oregonian and has spent her professional career in California and Oregon where she worked with children and adults in a variety of school based and non-profit settings dedicated to building community. Doran says she is thrilled to be a part of this incredible organization bringing back the art of play to Portland, and is committed to helping children build self-esteem, gain leadership and conflict resolution skills live healthier and more productive lives through play.

 
Outside of work, Doran is a mom, an active volunteer and board member of an international family-focused, non-profit organization. Her favorite game? A toss up between tether ball and foursquare.
 

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