USM Gulf Park campus Hosts Let鈥檚 Play with Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport
Mon, 03/20/2023 - 08:16am | By: Courtney Tesh
In spring of 2019, Junior Auxiliary of Hattiesburg began hosting an inclusive play event in partnership with The Children鈥檚 Center for Communication and Development at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM).
Hosted on the Center鈥檚 playground, the now bi-annual Play the Same event drew families from the Hattiesburg area to the only event of its kind. Parents, Center staff, and JA members watched on as children of all abilities played together, enjoyed ice cream, and chose from various face paint options.
Fast forward four years, and this free play event now takes place on the Gulf Coast as well. Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport quickly saw the need for a similar type of event in their region and will be hosting its third Let鈥檚 Play with JA event on April 2, taking place at The Children鈥檚 Center鈥檚 playground on USM鈥檚 Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.
鈥淲e鈥檙e so grateful that Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport has decided to bring this inclusive play event to the coast,鈥� said Sarah Myers, Director at The Children鈥檚 Center. 鈥淭hey have done a wonderful job of taking what has worked in Hattiesburg and tailoring it to their community. There are not enough opportunities for children of all abilities to come together in a safe, inclusive environment and enjoy playing side by side. We鈥檙e so thankful that our partners at Junior Auxiliary recognize this and have helped fill that void.鈥�
This iteration of Let鈥檚 Play with JA will include music, ice cream, face painting, and even a visit from the Easter bunny himself.
鈥淲e plan to continue hosting our bi-annual Let鈥檚 Play with JA events at The Children鈥檚 Center,鈥� said JA of Gulfport member Jayme Wayne. 鈥淲e love having the chance to bring together families and children from our region in a way that promotes inclusive play. Our team leaves these events with the biggest smiles on our faces knowing that we have facilitated something so meaningful for families in our community.鈥�
To find out more about these events, contact childrens.center@usm.edu. To keep up with future events and news from The Children鈥檚 Center, follow them on their . You can find out more about Junior Auxiliary of Gulfport on their .
As a part of Coastal USM, USM Gulf Park strives to ensure that coastal communities will be competitive and innovative for generations to come. For more information on the USM Gulf Park campus, you can visit their website, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.