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2023 Edition

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF PLAY

Phi Theta Kappa Mission The mission of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society is to recognize academic achievement of college students and to provide opportunities for them to grow as scholars and leaders.

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About Phi Theta Kappa

Phi Theta Kappa is the premier honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them grow as scholars and leaders. The Society is made up of more than 3.8 million members and nearly 1,300 chapters in 11 nations.

Publisher

Phi Theta Kappa, Inc.

Editor

Susan Edwards, Ed.D

Senior Director of Honors Programs

Production Staff

Tracee Walker

Content Manager

Makayla Steede

Project Coordinator

Lori Brechtel

Graphic Designer

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

International Headquarters | 1625 Eastover Drive Jackson, MS 39211 ptk.org | 601.984.3504 Phi Theta Kappa is committed to the elimination of unlawful discrimination in connection with all employment relationships, business operations and programs. Discrimination based on gender, family or marital status, race, color, national origin, military or veteran status, economic status, ethnic background, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, genetic information or history, age, disability, political affiliation, and cultural and religious backgrounds is prohibited. ©2023 by Phi Theta Kappa, Inc., in the United States and Canada. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of Phi Theta Kappa. The name, logo, and various titles herein have been registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The Civic Scholar: Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Undergraduate Research is published annually by Phi Theta Kappa, 1625 Eastover Drive, Jackson, MS 39211, 601.984.3504.

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Table of Contents

A Letter from the Editor............................................................................. 6

About Honors Program............................................................................... 7 Editorial Board............................................................................................ 8 2022/2023 Honors Study Topic................................................................... 9

Nostalgia November: A Study of Nostalgic Play on the Community’s Well-being Alpha Omega Xi Chapter Heartland Community College Normal, Illinois

Play and Learning 4 Adults and Youth (Play) Alpha Nu Sigma Chapter Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, South Carolina

Playing in the Dirt: Digging a Pathway Toward a Community Garden Pi Pi Chapter Jefferson State Community College Birmingham Campus Birmingham, Alabama

Pretty Terrific Kids: Making Play More Inclusive for All Beta Lambda Delta Chapter Jefferson State Community College Shelby-Hoover Campus Birmingham, Alabama

Play in the Elementary School Classroom

Tau Theta Chapter Labette Community College Parsons, Kansas

The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer: Adopting a Pre-K Class Alpha Sigma Iota Chapter Louisiana State University Eunice Eunice, Louisiana

Applying the Montessori Methods for Seniors with Dementia Beta Gamma Xi Chapter Middlesex Community College Middletown Campus Middletown, Connecticut

Utilizing Virtual Play for Health Benefits Alpha Chi Lambda Chapter MiraCosta College Oceanside Campus Oceanside, California

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Cruisin’ to Tomorrow: Encouraging the Younger Generation to Take Part in Old Traditions Omicron Alpha Chapter Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Harrison County Campus Gulfport, Mississippi

Alpha Tau Presents: Cosplay Date Alpha Tau Chapter Moberly Area Community College Moberly, Missouri

Impacts of Reduced Play Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic Alpha Beta Psi Chapter National Park College Hot Springs, Arkansas

Parsing out the Puzzling Play of Preschoolers: The Structure and Design of Play Tau Gamma Chapter Northampton Community College Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

“Eat, Play, Reflect!” Sharing Meals, Employing Music Therapy, Practicing Mindfulness, and More While Evoking Nostalgia as Play to Build Community and Enhance Mental Well-Being Alpha Rho Pi Chapter Northwestern Michigan College Traverse City, Michigan

Tech-Play vs. Nature: How Children Can Play for a Better Future Alpha Psi Eta Chapter Parkland College Champaign, Illinois

The Impact of Gaming and Virtual Reality in Nursing Homes Iota Mu Chapter Pearl River Community College Poplarville, Mississippi

Power of Play

Alpha Epsilon Pi Chapter Raritan Valley Community College North Branch Campus Branchburg, New Jersey

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Operation Access! Helping FirstGeneration Students Connect with Physical, Academic, Mental, and Emotional Wellness Alpha Omicron Chapter Tyler Junior College Tyler, Texas

106

Mission Possible: Using Assistive Technology to Level the Playing Field Lambda Pi Chapter Western Nebraska Community College Scottsbluff, Nebraska

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A Letter from the Editor Welcome to the 2023 edition of Civic Scholar: Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Undergraduate Research. First published in 2018, Civic Scholar emphasizes Phi Theta Kappa’s mission to recognize academic achievement of college students and to help them grow as scholars and leaders. We are proud to publish research conducted by community college students who have developed and implemented research-based, action-oriented projects that have had positive impact on their communities. The articles published in this edition of Civic Scholar include both substantive research and intentional college and community collaboration and engagement. These Honors in Action projects began as explorations of Phi Theta Kappa’s interdisciplinary 2022/2023 Honors Study Topic, The Art and Science of Play. Each chapter focused on one of seven themes related to the topic and developed research objectives and a research question to guide its study of the art and science of play. Honors in Action teams then conducted academic investigations into their identified Honors Study Topic-related themes and, from their research conclusions, determined what action they could take in their communities that would have both short-term and potential for long-term impact. This year, we received 394 submissions for possible inclusion in this journal. We are pleased to publish 18 of those submissions. They represent 18 community colleges from 15 of the United States. Students’ research illustrates diverse lenses through which to investigate Phi Theta Kappa’s biennial Honors Study Topic, as well as varied collaborators and action elements of the projects about which they wrote. Many chapters included graphs, charts, and images with their entries to highlight and support their research and action components. We are excited to include examples of these figures in the 2023 edition of Civic Scholar. We are proud of all the chapters who took this year’s opportunity to develop, implement, and write about their Honors in Action projects. They are conducting research that matters, and their work has engaged people on their community college campuses and in their communities. A special congratulations to the chapters whose work is published on these pages. Your work inspires us and reinforces that community college students are central to producing new knowledge and meaningful scholarship. Here’s to the talent, creativity, and great work of community college students!

Susan Edwards, Ed.D.

Senior Director of Honors Programs Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society

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About the Honors Program The Phi Theta Kappa Honors Program is designed to engage students in informed action that fosters student success and helps fulfill our mission to provide college students opportunities to grow as scholars and leaders.

Learning Outcomes Participation in the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Program contributes to personal, academic, and career development and affords students opportunities to have an impact on their campuses and in their communities by addressing challenges related to their Honors Study Topic research. Members who participate in the development and implementation of an Honors in Action project will be able to: 1. E valuate multiple, global perspectives of a theme as it relates to Phi Theta Kappa’s Honors Study Topic. 2. D emonstrate undergraduate research fundamentals by identifying sources, appraising their credibility, and formulating evidence-based conclusions. 3. Demonstrate critical thinking and reflective skills throughout the research process. 4. D esign, organize, and implement a plan of action that solves a real-world problem related to the Honors Study Topic.

5. F orm and develop teams that collaborate and communicate with college and community partners to enhance the project’s impact. 6. P rovide evidence of project impact using quantitative and qualitative assessments. 7. Compile a report using clear, correct, and effective language. Achievement of these learning outcomes builds the analytic and collaborative problemsolving and leadership skills necessary and valued in advanced academic pursuits, work places, and communities.

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Editorial Board The Civic Scholar Editorial Board is comprised of members of Phi Theta Kappa’s Honors Program Council and Student Engagement Team. The Honors Program Council is responsible for making recommendations to Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters staff about the new Honors Study Topic and Honors in Action Program and for assisting with the compilation and editing of the biennial Honors Program Guide as well as serving on the Editorial Board of Civic Scholar. Made up of Phi Theta Kappa chapter advisors, Headquarters staff, and consultants, Honors Program Council members are selected for their broad knowledge of the Honors Study Topic and Phi Theta Kappa’s integrated approach to the Hallmarks of Scholarship, Leadership, Service, and Fellowship, as well as their balance in academic disciplines. The Honors Study Topic on which the projects selected for inclusion in this edition of Civic Scholar was the 2022/2023 topic, The Art and Science of Play.

Prof. Gigi Delk Career and Technical Education Representative Tyler Junior College Tyler, Texas

Prof. Mat Herrman Communications Representative University of Arkansas, Morilton Campus

Dr. Jo Marshall Honors Consultant

Spring Hill, Tennessee

Prof. Julie Rancilio Humanities Representative Kapi’olani Community College Honolulu, Hawai’i

Dr. Kari Kahler Student Development Representative Northwestern Michigan College

Dr. Ryan Ruckel Leadership Development Studies Representative Pearl River Community College, Forrest County Campus

Dr. Kelly Kennedy Service Learning Representative Miami Dade College, Hialeah Campus

Dr. Diego Tibaquirá STEM Representative Miami Dade College, Padrón Campus

Prof. Kismet Loftin-Bell Social Sciences Representative Forsyth Technical Community College

Prof. Amy Winters STEM Representative Western Nebraska Community College

Morilton, Arkansas

Traverse City, Michigan

Hialeah, Florida

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Miami, Florida

Scotts Bluff, Nebraska

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The Art and Science of Play 2022/2023 HONORS STUDY TOPIC THEME 1: The Essence of Play

What are the natural and philosophical foundations of play?

THEME 2: Economics of Play

What are the financial, physical, and psychological costs and benefits of play?

THEME 3: Systems of Play

In what ways do one’s role, identity, and access influence the experience of play?

THEME 4: Architecture and Design of Play

In what ways do the design and structure of abstract and physical environments impact play?

THEME 5: Soul of Play

To what extent does play serve as muse to evoke artistry and craftsmanship?

THEME 6: Nostalgia as Play

How might we evoke memories that challenge, inspire, traumatize, and heal?

THEME 7: Play it Forward

How can the experience of play serve as a catalyst for epiphanies, innovations, and inventions?

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Nostalgic November: A Study of Nostalgic Play on The Community’s Well-being Alpha Omega Xi Chapter Heartland Community College Normal, Illinois

Theme Nostalgia as Play

Abstract Given the findings from the academic research into The Art and Science of Play conducted, Heartland Community College’s Alpha Omega Xi Chapter concluded a need in the community for an event that brings together individuals of all ages and across generations to enjoy a day of play, especially given the lack of events offered during the past two years due to the pandemic. The event was titled Nostalgic November and was hosted on campus at Heartland Community College Saturday, November 19, 2022, from 1:00 pm until 5:00 pm. During the four-hour event, over 100 community members played board games, video games, physical play such as hopscotch and dancing, and a cake walk. The event was developed as a result of the research, which showed the beneficial effects of listening to music from one’s past (Barrett, 2016, Schulte, 2018), the positive results that happen when participating in games from one’s past (Grabarczyk, 2020, Makai, 2018), and the constructive impact that occurs when one experiences the feelings brought about through engaging in nostalgic play (Keshishi, 2021, Stenner et al., 2020, Summers & McColl-Kennedy, 2001). The research further showed that nostalgic activities could dramatically influence a person physically and psychologically, such as lessening depression and physical pain and helping increase the perception that life is meaningful (Sedikides et al., 2014). Nostalgic November was very successful. The surveys completed by attendees upon leaving provided evidence that the afternoon of play had a positive effect on participants. In addition, observational evidence supports the research in that interacting with nostalgic music, games, and sports can improve one’s quality of life.

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Objectives Alpha Omega Xi set out to determine how nostalgic play impacts one’s well-being, both physically and psychologically. Three categories were chosen for inquiry: music, games, and sports. In researching the connection between nostalgia and music, the goal was to discover evidence that listening to music from one’s past positively affects mood, memory, and the brain itself. In researching information pertaining to nostalgia and games, the goal was to find evidence that taking part in games from one’s childhood helps people connect, thus developing social connectedness. In researching nostalgia and sports, the goal was to find evidence that memories of sports played as a child are conducive to helping older adults become motivated to participate, thus improving their psychological and physical health. The action part of our Honors in Action (HIA) project required both college and community collaborators to make events successful. Collaboration was essential to a successful Honors in Action project. We understood it was necessary to work with various partners to provide nostalgic activities.

Academic Investigation Our research question was, “Does participation in nostalgic play positively affect one’s overall physical and psychological well-being?” To answer our research question, Alpha Omega Xi looked to sources such as the Journal of Sport and Health Science, the Humanities Journal, and the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. It was through these and other academic sources that evidence was found supporting the idea that nostalgic play involving music, games, and sports can positively influence one’s physical and psychological health. The research supported the premise that listening to music from one’s past can reduce aggression and lessen depression. Furthermore, research shows that participating in games and sports that essentially allow one to “relive” the past, such as achievements earned during childhood, can bring about higher life satisfaction in adulthood.

Conclusions Engaging in activities that evoke nostalgia can benefit one’s physical and emotional well-being.

Remembering past events through interaction in nostalgic play engenders positive feelings and can help shape a positive future for people.

Action Our action project was a fair-like event focused on nostalgia, titled Nostalgic November, which was designed to welcome people of all ages from many different facets of the Bloomington-Normal community by encouraging conversation over the provided nostalgic activities. Activities included games, arts and crafts, music, food, a balloon artist, a cakewalk, two raffles, and a children’s book drive. The event was held on a Saturday rather than during the week at Heartland Community College, giving more people the chance to attend. We used music from different generations, games, art, food, and sports to trigger nostalgic memories of the people in our community to evoke psychological and physical responses. Nostalgia includes evoking memories of the past that are vividly remembered which was implemented within our event through the actions listed. Committees and organizations we connected with included; student engagement by providing various nostalgic items, Nothing Bundt Cakes by providing bundt cakes for the winning prizes in the cakewalk, Hy-Vee by providing cookies for the winning prizes in the cakewalk, Heartland Hawk as he came to the event to sponsor Heartland since that is where the event was held, Heartland council and family relations and various individuals provided books for the nostalgic book giveaway, and Project Rise who volunteered to help with various task at the event. The event was advertised through Facebook, flyers spread around the community, and radio stations including 107.7 and 99.5. All of which helped spread information about this event to various individuals in the community. During our event, we included nostalgic activities, decor, and games such as bingo, JustDance, a cake walk, and board games. When it came to food, we got decorated cookies that had beat boxes, flowers, peace signs, and cassette tapes. Before and after our event we had the guests fill out the same survey to see how their mood and emotions had changed when first coming in and then when leaving. Collaboration was essential to a successful Honors in Action project. We understood it was necessary

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to work with a variety of partners to provide the various nostalgic activities. We collaborated with various food caterers like Nothing Bundt Cakes and Hy-Vee to provide cakes and retro-decorated cookies as prizes for bingo and the cakewalk. The McLean County Health Department partnered with us by approving a temporary food permit. Heartland’s Student Engagement Club donated a multitude of things, including our crowd-favorite popcorn machine. Peer mentors from Project RISE, a student-support group on our campus, volunteered at the event to help with stations. By volunteering and aiding in the success of our event, they provided community service hours. Their help made the event go more smoothly. Another volunteer was our school mascot, Hunter Hawk. The Hawk Squad helped to bring him to our event as a memorable experience for the kids. He came and took several pictures and even played a couple of games. We also had a children’s book drive, and many of the books were donated by the Heartland Council on Family Relations. The book drive gave parents and their children a chance to have something fun to take home, and many of the kids enjoyed looking through all the books. Heartland Marketing helped to get the word out about our event by hanging flyers in places on and outside of campus. We contacted two different radio stations, 107.7 and 92.1, The Bull, and Magic 99.5. They advertised our event to their listeners on air. For even more advertising, we had a sponsored ad on Facebook that reached people in our area who were searching for familyfriendly events. In this way, we were able to effectively advertise by reaching as many people from as many demographic groups as we possibly could. We set out to reach the entire community, and our partners helped us to do that. It is without a doubt that because of the help and services provided by our collaborators our event was a success. We were able to attract many attendees, many of whom enjoyed nostalgic activities that brought different groups together. Diversity was essential to our goal, which could not have been achieved without the voices of our advertisers. We were able to include various members of our community at the event itself through volunteer opportunities, donations, and organizing measures. All these collaborative efforts were essential to our success, and our community

came together to create a memorable, nostalgic experience for all ages.

Impact We chose the eight sources highlighted in this entry from all the sources we found, because they were the most current, indicating the information was timely and relevant. We vetted each source using the Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (CRAAP) test. These eight sources fulfilled the CRAAP criteria. We also chose to highlight the eight sources because they allowed us to view the idea of nostalgic play from several angles. We learned how nostalgia is a large part of our lives and is a positive aspect that can improve our physical and psychological well-being. Through an anonymous survey taken by adults before and after the event, it was shown that nostalgic play has a positive impact on adults. The results demonstrated that, prior to the event, 26.8 percent of respondents, or 15 people, reported feeling “Extremely Sad,” “Sad,” or “Neutral.” By collecting survey results on almost everyone who attended the event, we were able to quantitatively prove that the general quality of emotions felt by the participants improved through the Nostalgic November Fair. After the fair, the second survey was collected on the question of general emotions at the end of the event. This time, 98.4 percent of respondents reported feeling “Happy,” or “Extremely Happy.” In other words, all but one person left the event with uplifted spirits. The Nostalgic November Fair improved the mood of those who attended and encouraged the growth of individual leadership. During the event, a survey was given out, asking the public how they felt before and after they attended. Before the event, 26.8 percent of attendees stated they felt neutral or sad. After the event, only 1.6 percent of attendees voted for neutral, and none were sad. Hence, the fair brought the community together and helped create happy memories that will be nostalgic for younger generations. During the event, many visitors were involved in the activities and showed great pleasure while participating. While some were not participating in the activities, they could eat the provided food and converse with the people around them. The fair brought people in the community together whether they participated

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in the activities or indulged in conversation while enjoying themselves. During this project, our chapter members were given the opportunity to challenge themselves in many ways. The rigorous research needed to understand our topic gave us opportunities to practice using article databases, finding sources for a rather obscure topic, and choosing interesting and informative sources. Some of the things we learned because of our research were how nostalgic play can bring people together, how nostalgia can be used to benefit our own mood and memory, and the overall importance of play. Throughout the process, we had many chances to learn how to work on a research project with a team, whether that be through deciding on a topic, the actual process of research, or writing the report. Our service project taught us how to plan and market an event and collaborate with other organizations to ensure that it is a success. Doing this project gave us many opportunities to practice thinking creatively, especially about how to make an event accessible to people with lower incomes and how we could make the biggest impact on our community. Seeing the joy we brought to others gave us a reason to continue serving in the future. Ultimately, this project gave us the chance to learn about the importance of nostalgia and play in our lives and to run an event to bring joy to our community.

Resources Barr ett, F. S. (2016). Neural responses to nostalgiaevoking music modeled by elements of dynamic musical structure and individual differences in affective traits. ScienceDirect. 91, 234-246. https://escholarship.org/content/ qt6516r2fc/qt6516r2fc.pdf?t=ocpuyc This study evaluated two different areas of the brain that are affected by nostalgic music. The first looked at the relationship between nostalgic music and blood oxygen level dependency (BOLD) in different sections of the brain. The second studied the correlation between BOLD activity and the tonal structure of the music. The study’s results suggested that the activity of the reward and emotion regulation networks of the brain are stimulated by nostalgic music. It found that individual traits affect responses to nostalgic music.

Grab arczyk, P. (2020). The past through stereoscopic lenses. Video Games Nostalgia in Virtual Reality. Przeglad Kulturoznawczy, 2(44), 54-74. https://doi.org/10.4467/208438 60PK.20.014.12378 This article dove deeply into the terminology of nostalgia, particularly the differences between homo-medial and hetero-medial nostalgia. Because Virtual Reality was not widely available until recently, it primarily used hetero-medial nostalgia, connecting us to far-away places or games of the past. Grabarczyk also discussed the ability that VR has to recreate places, which gives it significant potential to be used as a medium for nostalgia. Kesh ishi, N. (2021). Playful reflective thinking in a HyFlex classroom: Using nostalgic games to engage students. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education, 22, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.47408/jldhe.vi22.691 This article provides examples of nostalgic play and how it can be used to help college students engage in the classroom and give them opportunities for human connection while isolating due to COVID-19. Nayiri Keshishi used these activities to aid her students in practicing the skill of reflection. Because all of her students enjoyed the activities, and they are simple to do in hybrid classes, she recommended them to other professors. This gave us a window into real-world applications of nostalgic play in the classroom. Mak ai, P. K. (2018). Video games as objects and vehicles of nostalgia. Humanities, 7(4), 123. https://doi.org/10.3390/h7040123 This article discussed the use of nostalgia in video games and analyzes several popular games for various types of nostalgia. Additionally, it described the history of video gaming and how we can have nostalgia for a medium that is relatively new. Kristóf also discussed how nostalgia does not have to be about a time, it can also be about a place. Nostalgic storylines, ancient cities, and retro art styles all contribute to how we feel about a game.

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Schu lte, B. (2018). Music evoked nostalgia and mood states. [Honors Thesis. Western Michigan University]. https:// scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent. cgi?article=4094&context=honors_theses This study reviewed different mood states initiated by nostalgic music. Participants completed a Positive and Negative Affect Schedule survey before and after listening to nostalgic music. Results suggested a decrease in negative mood states compared to before and after listening to music. It also found that musicians are more emotionally impacted by nostalgic music than non-musicians. Sedi kides, C., Wildschut, T., Routledge, C., Arndt, J., Hepper, E. G., & Zhou, X. (2015). To nostalgize: Mixing memory with affect and desire. ScienceDirect, 51, 189-273. https:// doi.org/10.1016/bs.aesp.2014.10.001 This source lists the many effects nostalgia has, such as raising self-positivity, facilitating perceptions of a positive future, increasing perceptions of life as meaningful, increasing social connectedness, reinforcing socially oriented action tendencies, and promoting prosocial behavior. Sten ner, B. J., Buckley, J. D., & Mosewich, A. D. (2020). Reasons why older adults play sport: A systematic review. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 9(6), 530-541. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jshs.2019.11.003 This article reviewed studies done about the reasons that older adults participate in sports and discussed how the information found may be used to encourage more older adults to participate in sports activities. Some of the most common reasons adults participated in sports were to benefit their health and well-being, to feel like part of the community, to develop relationships, and to compete. Sum mers, J., Johnson, M., & McColl-Kennedy, J. (2001). Evoking the past: Exploring nostalgia’s relevance to sport consumption. AP – AsianPacific Advances in Consumer Research, 4, 108-113. https://www.acrwebsite.org/ volumes/11333

The authors of this study interviewed sports enthusiasts about their preferences in nostalgic activities. They found that males had a stronger emotional attachment to sports-related childhood memories than did females. Females had a stronger attachment to sports in their teen and young adult years. However, regardless of gender, all participants related their nostalgic sports memories to better times in life.

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Play and Learning 4 Adults and Youth (Play) Alpha Nu Sigma Chapter Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, South Carolina

Theme Essence of Play

Abstract Alpha Nu Sigma members began our project by reviewing The Art and Science of Play in the Honors Program Guide. We chose different research topics and narrowed our focus to Theme 1: Essence of Play. To better conduct academic research, we attended a workshop with HorryGeorgetown Technical College’s (HGTC) research librarian and completed Research Edge. Our research indicated play benefits both parents and children. Our research librarian created a playthemed library guide for us and was invaluable at helping us locate academic sources on play throughout our research process. Yogman (2018) concluded a shift in the natural foundations of play, including less parent engagement and more digital distractions, negatively affected the development of executive functioning skills and stated, “Play is not frivolous.” A committee member shared information about STAR (Sensory Teaching And Recreation) Academy, a local playbased facility. The founder shared her expertise during a committee meeting, and we attended a presentation at her facility. We surveyed our college community and discovered 20 percent of parents did not identify how play affects their children. To share our research and engage parents and children, we created a PLAY (Play & Learning 4 Adults & Youth) event and included STAR Academy as a collaborator. We created eight play stations, and 50 people attended. As we learned to collaborate and set realistic goals, we became a team, accomplishing specific project tasks. We created a fun environment for parents and children to explore the essence of play together.

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Research demonstrates

developmentally appropriate play with parents and peers is a singular opportunity to promote the social-emotional, cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills that build executive function and a prosocial brain. Furthermore, play supports the formation of the safe, stable, and nurturing relationships with all caregivers that children need to thrive. (Garner et al., 2018)

Budget Friendly Games

Mister Rogers says… “When children pretend, they’re using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero.”

PLAY Kits In your bag, you’ll find items/ resources to engage in imaginative and free play with your children as well as budget-friendly suggestions for games with children and parents.

Play is intrinsically motivated and leads to active engagement and joyful discovery. Although free play and recess need to remain integral aspects of a child’s day, the essential components of play can also be learned and adopted by parents, teachers, and other caregivers to promote healthy child development and enhance learning. (Yogman, et.al., 2018)

JUMP BALL ■ All players stand in a circle with a ball. In order to throw the ball to another person you must be in the middle of jumping. If you do not catch the ball you are out. Misdirect your opponents for a challenge.

PAPER PLANE RACES ■ Take turns creating paper airplanes. Experiment with the size and shape of each paper airplane. Lineup and throw your airplanes. The airplane to go the farthest wins

PICTIONARY ■ The first player draws a picture and the remaining players take turns guessing what the picture is of. The person that guesses correctly is the next person to draw.

LOOSE THINGS ■ Fill a household container with spare miscellaneous items (examples: buttons, scraps of paper, string, etc) Encourage your child to be creative and make something out of nothing.

CHECKERS/ CHESS ■ Traditional checkers and chess can be modified for an extra challenge. Use a 1 minute or 30 second timer to time each players turn.

MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE ■ 3 players line up in a row. The two players on each end take turns throwing a ball over the middle player. If the middle player catches the ball, they must switch places with the person that threw it.

CATS CRADLE ■ This is a traditional game that can be played with only one string that is connected to form a loop. Detailed instructions can be found online.

BED SHEET PING PONG ■ Each team holds the opposite end of a bed sheet. Place a ping pong ball in the middle of the sheet. Each player can raise or lower the sheet to try and get the ball to fall off the other team’s side. No launching the ball!

LIP SYNC BATTLE ■ While listening to music, take turns going back and forth lip syncing as dramatically as possible. Don't forget the air guitar or the drums!

TIC TAC TOURNAMENT ■ Play five rounds of tic-tac-toe. The player with the best three out of five wins!

ADD EM’ UP ■ Each player takes turns rolling one six-sided dice. After every turn you add what you just rolled to your total points. The first player to 100 points wins.

PILLOW SACK RELAY ■ Have all players line up standing in pillowcases. On your mark, get set, go! The first person to the finish line wins .Can be combined with Red Light, Green Light.

ROCK SKIPPING BATTLE ■ Take turns skipping rocks. Whoever gets the most skips out of their rock wins.

DOTS AND BOXES ■ Line a piece of paper with a 10 by 10 row of dots. Each player can connect 2 dots with 1 line per turn. If a box is formed during a turn, that player writes their initial in the box. Play until no more boxes can be made. STUCK IN THE MUD ■ This game makes players take turns rolling 3 dice and the goal is to NOT roll a 5. Every number you roll that is not a five is added up into points. The dice that roll 5 are taken out. The first player to 50 points wins.

■ Coordination ■ Communication ■ Imagination ■ Deliberation ■ Cooperation

Figure 2

Figure 1

Objectives We reviewed Honors Study Topic preliminary research and discovered our interest in focusing our Honors in Action (HIA) project on how children with disabilities play. We developed the following research objectives: • review the Honors Program Guide and choose a theme • complete Research Edge • attend a research workshop conducted by HGTC’s research librarian • review at least 40 sources, including global perspectives • identify eight academic sources • survey HGTC students, faculty, and staff to assess knowledge about play Our overall goal was to educate HGTC parents that playing with their children is important to overall development and can be fun and easy. To accomplish this, we developed the following action objectives: • apply for Mellon HIA Grant • plan event to educate parents on the benefits and accessibility of play • produce tri-fold brochure to share our research (Figure 1) • design advertisement flier and email invitation • create handout about low or no-cost games (Figure 2)

• prepare PLAY kits for distribution • conduct an exit survey We accomplished our action objectives through collaborating with: • HGTC Lead Research Librarian • STAR Academy founder

Academic Investigation Officers investigated different themes in the Honors Program Guide. Our initial research focused on the impact of play on neurodivergent children. Research into autistic children provided the most promising avenue for exploration. It demonstrated play improved autistic children’s development and higher executive functions. Marwick’s research (2022) revealed playboxes containing random objects such as paper, crayons, string, etc. helped engage play between autistic children and adults. We quickly realized autism was both too broad and too narrow a focus for a feasible action component, so we broadened our scope to neurotypical children.

Conclusions The Su (2020) study compared autistic and nonautistic children and found playboxes improve collaboration and communication among both groups. We chose theme one, Essence of Play, and developed our research question: To

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what extent does active play between parents and children serve as a foundation for skills development? Yogman’s (2018) article focused on the importance of building foundational coordination, socialization, communication, and executive functioning skills needed to be successful. It also revealed constraints in home environments, such as time and finances, impede developing these skills. We interviewed a special education, playbased teacher, who supported these findings. She acknowledged parents need to play with their children at home. The Harris (2022) article supported the concept of floor play where children and adults become partners in play. According to Metafaria (2021), despite cultural differences between Ethiopian and Hungarian parents, both encouraged play for their children as a learning method. Watson’s (2017) research focused on the impact of physical activity and the connection to academic performance, while Eimer’s (2020) Chinese study utilized LEGOs™ to improve mathematics test scores. After reviewing our research, committee members learned play was integral to childhood development, yet most children do not get enough play time, especially with parents. HGTC’s Institutional Research Department reviewed a survey we developed to assess the level of importance parents placed on play and the amount of time they spend playing with their children. We surveyed 373 students, faculty, and staff across three campuses. A total of 115 replied yes to whether they had children. The majority of these parents agreed playtime with their children is very important. About 25 percent of those surveyed stated they spend three hours or less per week playing with their children. Our final question assessed the effects of engaging in active play with their children, and 20 percent did not reply. We recognized a need for parents to learn about the importance of playing with their children.

Action We planned a two-hour event to engage parents and children in active play and present our research on the benefits of actively engaging in play. To better understand the benefits of play, we

collaborated with the founder of STAR Academy, a local play-based learning center. She asserted children do not get enough play time at home and corroborated our findings that play is an integral part of a child’s development. There is no charge for parents to play with their children at her facility. We developed PLAY kits based on Su’s (2020) research. A committee member developed a spreadsheet, including costs and quantities, to help us choose what items to purchase. HGTC generously donated branded reusable shopping bags, and our advisor ordered the items. Each kit contained items encouraging imaginative free play between child and parent: sensory toys, coloring/activity books, crayons, Rubik’s cubes, ribbon wands, miniature drawing tablets, puzzles, jump ropes, dominoes, card games, LED bracelets, brain teasers, and a no-cost games handout. Additionally, kits included a craft bag of paper plates, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, popsicle sticks, feathers, colorful pom balls, sequins, and toilet paper rolls. HIA team members created a digital event flier, which was approved by Student Affairs and emailed to our college population. Another member created a separate printed flier using Canva. Our print shop could not use this file format, so a chapter officer converted it into a PDF, and 100 colorful fliers were printed and placed across three campuses. Using our research, committee members created a tri-fold brochure to explain our play stations: Collaboration, Imagination, Coordination, Communication, Deliberation, and Free Play. The Collaboration station allowed exploration through building marshmallow and spaghetti towers. LEGO™ free form pieces allowed parents and children to create together. The Imagination station included craft items allowing parents and children to create imaginative artwork. The Coordination station consisted of hopscotch, designed with painters’ tape on the auditorium floor, a Velcro ball toss, jump rope, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid cards promoting physical challenges for parents and children. The Communication station contained over 100 donated books for all reading levels. Parents and children selected ones to take with them, and remaining books were donated to STAR Academy.

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We created note cards (doctor, airplane, cowboy, astronaut, volcano, tree, etc.) for parents and children to act out or draw utilizing oversized Post-it™ notes which we hung behind the station. The Deliberation station engaged parents and children in critical thinking skills through constructing and designing paper airplanes. We provided Dominoes and Battleship™ to encourage critical thinking and enhance parent/ child play and dialogue. The Free Play area included empty cardboard boxes, paper plates, plastic spoons, twine, plastic cups, markers, and foil cake pans for parents and children to imaginatively create scenarios. One child turned a box on its side and wrote “hot oven” on it and used small plates to create a pizza and chocolate chip cookies to share with parents. Another child created a telephone utilizing plastic cups and twine and had a conversation with his father. We invited a local speech therapist to host a station. She brought Mr. Potato Head, plastic animals, small interconnecting tiles, and a memory game and explained how playing with them improves children’s communication skills. She expressed her excitement at the number of participants and the event being well organized. Two members of STAR Academy brought hula hoops, arts/crafts, an extra-large chess set, sensory toys, and Play-Doh™. This station was one of the most popular. We met at the auditorium the day before our event to assemble PLAY kits and design our event space. We created and hung giant Post-it™ notes on the wall to identify each station, including suggested activities to maximize play benefits. A chapter officer greeted parents and gave them our tri-fold brochure and a Bingo card as they entered the auditorium. The Bingo card was created at an HIA committee meeting, to be stamped as they visited each station. Participants took completed bingo cards to the grand prize station to exchange for a PLAY kit, a ticket for the grand prize giveaway, and an exit survey. Grand prizes featured items reflecting our research and included: Spirograph™, LEGO™ set, Play-Doh™ set, a backpack with books and a large writing tablet, paint set, Velcro ball toss, jump rope, a guessing game, and Backgammon™. Our survey contained two questions to gauge what parents learned that day.

Impact All HIA members completed Research Edge and learned the importance of setting realistic goals. We worked together to transition large ideas into a manageable project and became wellrounded leaders. Developing academic research skills enabled us to become lifelong learners. We learned to use software programs including Canva and Excel and how to compile survey responses and create graphs. Our teamwork skills improved as we listened to each other, learned to be flexible, collaborated on changes, and appreciated each other’s skills. Committee members were excited to share new knowledge with HGTC parents about the impact of play on developmental skills. We prepared 52 PLAY kits weighing two pounds each. Our plans identified cost as a barrier to creating them, so we learned how to write a $1,000 Mellon Foundation HIA grant application, which we received. The total cost for our kits was $1,230 and chapter members raised the additional funds to successfully complete our project. The chapter paid $205 to rent a 3,552 square foot auditorium on campus.

Figure 3

Fifty HGTC parents and their children attended. Parents shared the following comments in our exit survey: “You likely have inexpensive items at home that can serve as toys, and you do not need to spend large amounts on toys in stores to have fun with kids!” “Awesome event! PTK did a great job! They did a wonderful job explaining the stations.” “I learned ways that play can help me better understand my child and how to help them grow and communicate their perspective to a

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variety of people.” “Family game time is some of the best time that we can spend.” Upon reflecting on our event, we learned play doesn’t have a price point. It is a powerful concept even without toys, which we demonstrated in several stations. We were amazed to see the variety of spaghetti and marshmallow structures and overjoyed at the level of creativity in the craft area (Figure 3). We learned the importance of playing with children, not just watching them play. This reminded us of a Carolinas Region Honors Institute speaker who encouraged us to play as adults. We grew as scholars and leaders by bringing parents and children closer together through play and sharing our research with them. We created lasting change for families who played together during our event.

Resources Eimer, T., Aleksic, G., & Zhang, Q. (2020). The role of LEGO in numeracy development: A case analysis. In Xu, S., Marsico, G. (Eds.), Social Ecology of a Chinese Kindergarten (pp. 93-109). Cultural Psychology of Education, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-3-030-59735-1_8 This Chinese study examined LEGO™ construction and math proficiency. Results indicated the more complex the LEGO™ construction, the higher the performance on mathematics tests. This led us to include a LEGO™ play station at our event and a LEGO™ set as a grand prize. Harris, K.I. (2022) Through a child’s eyes: Using floor play to connect with children and families. Journal of National Association for the Education of Young Children, 17(2), 36-42. https://www.proquest.com/scholarlyjournals/through-childs-eyes-using-floor-playconnect-with/docview/2680628761/se-2 This article focused on how floor play can be a time for families to engage with their children by connecting with them to understand their emotions and behavior. This information helped us create our survey questions and the idea to add a free play area to our event.

Marwi ck, H., Jarvie, K., Cowie, H., Johnston, L., Hammond-Evans, N., & Cockayne, R. (2022). Developing pretend play in autistic children using the playboxes joint play approach as part of ongoing practice. Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders, 52(7), 3050–3060. https://doi. org/10.1007/s10803-021-05156-9 This article demonstrated the importance of creating and using playboxes of random items to assess and promote engagement between children and adults. This led us to design a PLAY kit for children and parents to take home from our event. Meta feria, B.K., Futo, J., & Takacs, Z.K. (2021). Parents’ views on play and the goal of early childhood education in relation to children’s home activity and executive functions: A cross-cultural investigation. Frontiers in Psychology. 12:646074. https://doi. org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.646074 This Ethiopian and Hungarian study indicated preschoolers with parents acknowledging the importance of play for the overall development of children and frequently engaging in pretend play have better executive functions. We used this information to focus our research on the importance of parents playing with children and to create our event. Su, W . C., Culotta, M., Mueller, J., Tsuzuki, D., Pelphrey, K., & Bhat, A. (2020). Differences in cortical activation patterns during action observation, action execution, and interpersonal synchrony between children with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD): An fNIRS pilot study. PLoS ONE, 15(10), e0240301. http://dx.doi. org/10.1371/journal.pone.0240301 This article addressed how autistic and nonautistic children learn through imitation and using playboxes. A member managed each station at our event so children could imitate each activity.

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Wat son, A., Timperio, A., Brown, H., Best, K., & Hesketh, K.D. (2017). Effect of classroombased physical activity interventions on academic and physical activity outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 114. http://dx.doi. org/10.1186/s12966-017-0569-9 This article focused on physical activity and its positive impact on academic performance. It inspired us to create the coordination station for our PLAY event. Yog man, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., HirshPasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M., (2018). The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics, 142(3), e20182058. https://doi.org/10.1542/ peds.2018-2058 Less parental engagement due to work requirements, fewer safe places to play, and more digital distractions limit play opportunities for children. Play provides opportunities for adults to help their children build foundational motor, social–emotional, language, executive functioning, and math skills needed to be successful. This led us to plan an event to help parents better understand how play impacts children’s growth while also providing examples of activities to do at home. Zos h, J.M., Gaudreau, C., Golinkoff, R.M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2022). The power of playful learning in the early childhood setting. Journal of National Association for the Education of Young Children, 17(2), 6-13. https://www. proquest.com/scholarly-journals/powerplayful-learning-early-childhood-setting/ docview/2680629720/se-2 Free play encourages children to choose and direct their play, fostering initiative, independence, and problem-solving. Guided play is chosen by the adult and directed by children to embrace critical and creative aspects of learning. This led us to explore benefits of parent-guided play.

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Playing in the Dirt: Digging a Pathway Toward a Community Garden Abstract Pi Pi Chapter Jefferson State Community College Birmingham Campus Birmingham, Alabama

Theme Architecture and the Design of Play

While discussing The Art and Science of Play, chapter members showed a particular interest in the geography of play. We discussed the ways in which spaces dedicated to play interact with and build community. This inspired our primary research question: In what ways do environments designed for play strengthen communities? Peter Gray’s definition of play as any activity that liberates people and places from the mundane provided the chapter a wide berth of avenues to explore. However, academic inquiry and opportunity met in late-June, inspiring a project about community gardening. While faculty members proposed the college create a community garden, the chapter created a project focused on self-education and generating community interest. We volunteered with a local teaching farm, created a plant library, and built an informative website. Results of a survey indicated a high level of interest and potential participation in the proposed garden. In January 2023, the college administration approved the creation of the garden. The chapter has agreed to help establish the garden using skills and knowledge learned from multiple service days at the local teaching farm.

Objectives Our research objectives were to: • develop an Honors in Action (HIA) Committee to lead discussion of themes, distribute scholarly articles to the chapter, and synthesize research; • undergo preliminary research on various definitions of “play” and lead the chapter in finding a definition that suits members;

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• survey the chapter on the types of community-building play that interests them to guide research; and • work with college librarians to find at least 20 academic sources that engage in the intersection of play and community building. Our collaboration objectives were to: • coordinate a meeting with potential stakeholders, including college administration, to propose and plan a community garden at Jefferson State; • schedule four service days with Jones Valley Teaching Farm in Birmingham, Alabama, to learn more about the process of community gardening; • build two plant libraries to generate interest in community gardening on campus; • apply for an HIA grant to build and stock the plant libraries; • create and distribute an informative website promoting the proposed garden and Jones Valley Teaching Farm; and • develop and distribute a survey to gauge interest in a community garden.

Academic Investigation The chapter began its inquiry by defining the word play. We leaned heavily into the work of psychologist Peter Gray, who argues that play is any activity that disrupts conformity or normalcy and has the potential to release enjoyment. With this definition in mind, we turned our attention to the Journal of Play. Members perused articles looking for inspiration while eagerly awaiting the publication of the 2022/2023 Honors Program Guide. Once the guide was available, the vice president of scholarship worked with our advisors to develop a timeline for the discussion of its themes. Chapter members read each theme independently and filled out the Honors in Action Workbook provided by PTK. During chapter meetings, the vice president led discussion and brainstorming activities. By late May, the chapter agreed to pursue Theme 4: “Architecture and Design of Play,” with a slight modification to the guiding question: In what ways do environments designed for play strengthen communities? In early June, the newly formed Honors Committee initiated the research process by inviting the college librarian Dusty Folds to lead two research workshops. With his help, the chapter identified over 20 articles that

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explained how creating space for sports, art, theater, and service reinforced empathy, equity, solidarity, and inquisitiveness by disrupting traditional or mundane patterns.

Conclusions To supplement traditional research, chapter officers engaged in numerous play days that mirrored our findings. This type of research-inaction disrupted our normal workflow and helped to develop strong bonds through teamwork and competition. Also in early June, Dr. Erin Arnold, chair of the biology department, proposed a joint venture to develop a community garden for the Jefferson State community and our adjoining neighborhoods. The chapter enthusiastically agreed to the collaboration, believing it would be a fantastic college project. However, as our research continued, we recognized that community garden fell within our definition of play. Foundational research describes community gardens as “transformative” spaces and urban “oases” that revitalize neighborhoods. Contemporary research builds on these findings by examining the effects community gardening has on individuals and communities. Case studies in the U.S., Japan, and Poland, among other countries, reveal that community gardening has positive outcomes on people’s physical and mental health. It strengthens personal connections, forges communal pride, and promotes education about topics like ecology, nutrition, and economic justice. Using this information, the chapter agreed to help Dr. Arnold generate interest in a community garden for Jefferson State Community College and the surrounding neighborhood as part of our HIA Project.

Action Community gardens are a form of play that revitalize and strengthen communities. When Dr. Erin Arnold approached the chapter to help her create a community garden, we eagerly agreed to help. Our first objective was to identify potential stakeholders at Jefferson State with whom we could collaborate. We scheduled a meeting on July 22 with the Biology Department Dean Brian Gordon, Associate Dean Kristin Henderson, and staff in the Office of Student Affairs to divvy up tasks. The ad hoc committee agreed that we

would best serve the committee by generating awareness and interest in the proposed garden at Jefferson State. Chapter members agreed that the best way to be educated was to engage experts and participate directly in community gardening. We partnered with the Jones Valley Teaching Farm (JVTF), a non-profit organization that leads educational programs at its urban farm in downtown Birmingham, Alabama, and their sites at numerous Birmingham city schools. On July 29, chapter officers volunteered at the Pizitz Middle School Garden. JVTF’s Senior Operations Manager Alan Guganus explained how community gardens operate and benefit communities. After our orientation, Alan put us to work. Although we were pulling weeds in the Alabama summer heat, the work confirmed the chapter’s findings. We experienced firsthand how community gardening strengthens personal connections, forges communal pride, and promotes continued education. We resolved to dedicate three Fridays during the fall toward further service with JVTF. In October and early November, the chapter volunteered at three additional school sites where Alan taught us about the variety of gardens and how their function is impacted by both abstract and physical environments. We also enriched the gardens as we learned to mulch, compost, plant, and harvest. The chapter intended to invite faculty, staff, and students to garden alongside us in October and November. Due to poor planning on our part, this did not happen.

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Therefore, to stimulate interest and awareness in the proposed garden at Jefferson State, we created the Pioneer Plant Library. Built on the little free library concept, the chapter regularly stocked the library with plants, seeds, and books about gardening. Vice President of Service Meleah Craft built two kiosks from wood, painted them, and determined which plants to stock them with. Chapter members took turns buying and watering plants, restocking the kiosks, and collecting data. The chapter managed to keep the library stocked thanks to a $1,000 HIA grant. At the beginning of the spring 2023 term, we created a website promoting the proposed garden. Pictures of chapter members volunteering at JVTF helped to highlight benefits like beautification, strengthening ties, community outreach, and continuing education. At the bottom of the page, we embedded a survey to gauge interest in the project. We targeted the on-campus population by asking instructors to share the website with their in-person courses to gauge interest in the project.

Impact Jefferson State Community College has four campuses. The proposed garden will be at the college’s urban campus in Centerpoint, Alabama.

The chapter decided it would be most beneficial to survey the in-person population of that campus. We asked faculty members to share a link to the website and have their students take the survey. Over 120 individuals visited the site and 78 responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 85 percent were students and 15 percent were faculty. Women made up just over half of the respondents, as did people between the ages of 18 and 22. The survey asked participants to rate their previous gardening experience on a scale of 1-5. The average of all responses was 1.94. This revealed to the chapter that the average person who took the survey was a traditional college student with little gardening proficiency. Luckily, when asked to rank their desire to participate in the proposed garden, 50 of the 78 respondents (64 percent) said they were likely or very likely to do so, and 36 percent indicated a lack of interest in participating. Further data revealed that although not every respondent was likely to participate in the garden, everyone polled believed it would have positive results in the five outcomes important to the chapter: improved campus appearance, increased student engagement, increased community outreach, educational integration, and resource creation. In each category, participants

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overwhelmingly agreed that the garden would provide “great benefit,” the highest rating. Qualitative data from the survey revealed excitement for the project. One respondent wrote, “The pictures on the website of Jeff State students gardening convinced me that this is a project we need.” Another respondent, assumedly a faculty member, wrote, “I would love to use the garden in my class! It would be great to trade sitting in desks for rolling around in dirt.” Several survey participants showed interest in synergy between the garden and the campus’s food pantry. “This is a great way for the Pioneer Pantry to finally provide people with fresh fruits and vegetables.” One participant noted the Pioneer Plant Library, which was also part of the chapter’s project. “I took some plants from the plant library and enjoyed growing them. I can’t wait to grow plants on campus.” As for the plant library, the chapter considered it a success. The chapter used our $1,000 HIA grant to purchase over 200 plants, eight books, 200 seed packets, and 16 laminated reference guides. As of January 17, all of them had been “checked out” from the library. This project revealed chapter member’s adeptness, flexibility, and capacity for growth. Officers used meeting time to collaborate on all parts of the project. The website, survey, and plant library were all designed during officer meetings, with each officer providing input. Collaboration continued outside meetings as officers maintained the library. We each took turns watering plants, buying seeds, and keeping record of what had been checked out. We used a shared Excel document to track what was taken, when, and what needed to be purchased during bi-weekly shopping trips. We grew even closer as a team thanks to our participation with the Jones Valley Teaching Farm. Engaging in service-as-play strengthened our bonds with one another and made us proud of our chapter. It also furthered our resolve to see Jefferson State create the community garden. We are a step closer to that dream. On January 11, the administration approved the creation of a community garden at the Centerpoint campus. The chapter was thrilled. We immediately agreed that building the garden was something we wanted to participate in. As a result, it will be our College Project for the

upcoming PTK year. We are excited to take the information and skills we learned at the Jones Valley Teaching Farm and apply it to our campus community.

Resources Bea uregard, C., Tremblay, J., Pomerleau, J., Simard, M., Bourgeois-Guerin, E., Lyke, C., Rousseau, C. (2020). Building communities in tense times: Fostering connectedness between cultures and generations through community arts. American Journal of Community Psychology, 65(3-4), 437-454. https://doi. org/10.1002/ajcp.12411 This article used the What If Project to explain how arts can bridge demographic divides to create a community. By focusing on stories of adversity and resilience, the What If Project created commonality across ethno-racial and generational divides. Dob bins, S., Hubbard, E., Flentje, A., DawsonRose, C., Leutwyler, H. (2018). Play provides social connection for older adults with serious mental illness: A grounded theory analysis of a 10-week exergame intervention. Aging & Mental Health, 24(4), 596-603. https://doi.org /10.1080/13607863.2018.1544218 This article argued that group play is an important countermeasure to increased rates of serious mental illness (SMI) caused by isolation. Group play, the authors claimed, cultivates social connections, increased confidence, and self-efficacy. Gray , P. (2017). What exactly Is play, and why is it such a powerful vehicle for learning? Topics in Language Disorders, 37(3), 217–228. https:// doi.org/10.1097/tld.0000000000000130 This article provided the chapter with a clear definition of play that became the foundation for our entire project. Play is any activity that disrupts conformity or normalcy and has the potential to release enjoyment.

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Jano wska, B., Lój, J., & Andrzejak, R. (2022, June 16). Role of community gardens in development of housing estates in polish cities. Agronomy, 12(6), 1447. https://doi. org/10.3390/agronomy12061447 This article examines the positive outcomes of urban gardening/green space in rapidly growing Polish cities. These benefits include improved physical, mental, and social health of all participating individuals. Pain ter, D.L., & Howell, C. (2020, June 16). Community engagement in the liberal arts: How service hours and reflections influence course value. Journal of Experiential Education, 43(4), 416-430. https://doi. org/10.1177/1053825920931563 This article argued that the service-oriented play at liberal arts colleges benefited the institution through increased engagement and involvement, the community through tangible change, and the individual though increased feelings of self-worth. Reyn ard, S. (2020). Sport as a peacebuilding tool? Peace Review, 32(4), 448-453. https://doi.org /10.1080/10402659.2020.1921399 This article provided a strong counterpoint to most of our research. The author argues that although sports have the potential to be a peacebuilding tool, they often create more conflicts than they diffuse. He writes, “For every example of a sport contributing to peace one could easily find twice the number of examples of sports contributing to conflicts.” War d, K. S., Son Truong, & Gray, T. (2022). Connecting to nature through community engaged scholarship: Community gardens as sites for collaborative relationships, psychological, and physiological wellbeing. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2. https://doi. org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.883817 A seven-month study of a community garden in New South Wales, Australia, led researchers to argue that community gardens enhance community engagement in green exercise, psychological well-being, and community cohesion. They further argued that replication of

this project could legitimize global community partnerships. Welt sek, G. J. (2018, March 6). Theater programs in community colleges: A policy for equality. Arts Education Policy Review, 120(2), 103111. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632913.2018 .1423594 This article argued that the correlation between participation in performing arts programs and high passage rates in community colleges may be causal. The author theorized that drama and theater support positive self-perception and motivation that may not be available in traditional or technical curricula.

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Pretty Terrific Kids: Making Play More Inclusive for All Beta Lambda Delta Chapter Jefferson State Community College Shelby-Hoover Campus Birmingham, Alabama

Theme Systems of Play

Abstract Seven-year-old Maggie stands alone on the sidelines. Because of her arm braces, she cannot play in a game of catch with other children. Similar heartbreaking scenes take place daily, but what if a simple intervention could bring about change? After studying over 75 academic sources, including scholarly books, journals, and interviews, the Beta Lambda Delta Chapter discovered that children could easily be taught and coached on being more inclusive. We found that the most effective strategy for promoting inclusive play is simply educating children to talk to each other about differences. To act, we developed PRETTY TERRIFIC KIDS, a series of children’s books that addressed physical, neurological, and social disabilities*, teaching children how to include each other in play. We distributed our books in English, Spanish, and braille and published digital copies online. We read our books to school children across our city, and our series became a part of the approved curriculum for all students in Alabama from pre-K to fourth grade. Our project reached 298,523 Alabama schoolchildren and enjoyed readership throughout 17 countries internationally. *We use the terms disabled/disabilities to reflect the preferred language of the disability community.

Objectives Our initial research objectives included: • identifying a subtopic that had both personal and societal significance • consulting multiple-genre sources, including scholarly books, articles, and interviews

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• forming three research teams that would annotate at least 25 academic sources per these categories:

• partnering with language experts for translation accuracy

• educational theories concerning disability rights

• obtaining educational endorsements from both local school boards and the state of Alabama

• specific needs and desires of disabled children pertaining to play

• reading our books to children area schoolchildren

• strategies for improving levels of inclusive play

• working with area businesses to disseminate our project more widely

• discussing and debating our findings to articulate evidence-based research conclusions

• presenting our work at an academic conference

Stage two objectives included: • identifying specific recreational needs of disabled children • mapping our research conclusions to these needs to formulate data-driven action • exploring the skills necessary to produce a successful book series, including content creation, graphic design, website design, and distribution • creating a timeline that would allow us to:

• complete our books and distribute them widely • reflect upon and assess our work at the year’s end

When considering our action options, our greatest goal was to teach children how to talk to each other about disabilities and inclusive play. Our action objectives became: • creating a book series that addressed physical, mental, and neurological disabilities • translating our books into multiple languages • making our books available in braille and audio editions

• distributing our books via hard and digital copies • developing ancillary materials, such as coloring sheets and teachers’ guides to make our project more interactive and effective Collaboration objectives included: • writing applications for grant funding

• working with disability experts to ensure our books were medically and socially accurate

Academic Investigation At our annual chapter retreat, a member living with a disability gave a presentation on disabled children experiencing exclusion from play. He then poignantly described the deep pain this exclusion causes. After hearing his story, we knew we wanted to investigate strategies for making play more inclusive. We began by formulating two research questions: To what extent do disabled children have equal access to play compared to nondisabled children? If disabled children lack access to play, what interventions can increase access and improve play outcomes? We conducted initial research via three research teams: • Our education team investigated academic concepts regarding disabled children to give our project a theoretically grounded foundation. • Our play team researched the desires for play expressed by disabled children and the barriers they encounter. • Our action team explored best practices to promote inclusivity in play.

Conclusions After annotating over 75 sources, we identified our most significant conclusions: • According to the United Nations, play is a human right; however, disabled children face severe obstacles to play (Atkinson et al., 2017). • Disabilities should be celebrated as part of the variety of the human experience instead of seen as “obstacles” to be “overcome” (Beckett, 2015).

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• The best play interventions for disabled children emerge organically by listening to these children, allowing them to speak for themselves (Graham et al., 2018). • Discussions of disabled children should address cognitive, learning, and social disabilities as much as physical disabilities (Sterman et al., 2019).

Action As we prepared for action, these research conclusions stood out: • Disabled children experience severe obstacles to play. • Disabilities should be normalized, not pitied.

• Educating disabled and non-disabled children on how to play together creates a lasting impact more significant than merely redesigning play spaces (Barron et al., 2017).

• Disabled children should be able to speak for themselves.

• Children’s books can be a powerful tool to teach about inclusion in play for both disabled and non-disabled children (Wilkins et al., 2016).

• Literature is a highly effective educational tool.

Based upon these conclusions, we developed an action plan that would: • design an educational program to encourage disabled and non-disabled children to play together • engage with children, teachers, and parents across our state and beyond • distribute our work to the largest audience possible • assess our work to determine future actions to assist this cause

Figure 1

• Social interventions are more effective than structural redesign.

These conclusions served as our action’s foundation and inspired us to write, illustrate, publish, and distribute the PRETTY TERRIFIC KIDS books series, which promoted inclusivity in play. (Figure 1.) We wrote these books in the first person, allowing disabled children to tell their own stories. Our books were: • A KICK IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. This book is the story of Kevin the Bear who has a prosthetic arm. He feels left out when his friends play on the monkey bars, so he works with them to find a game—soccer—they can all play. This book shows how children can talk to each other to create collaborative solutions for inclusive play.

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• ANYTHING IS “PAW”-SIBLE. In this book, Pablo the Cat learns how to work with his friends to manage his social anxiety. He is able to perform with his band because his friends support him. This book promotes empathy and children supporting each other. • A SOUND DECISION. Thea the Unicorn has Sensory Processing Disorder. With the help of Thea’s mother, Thea’s friends learn how to include her when she feels overwhelmed. This book teaches children to accept their friends without judgment. We distributed our books in English, Spanish, and braille. We also recorded audio translations to create greater accessibility. These free books were available as hard copies and digitally via our website, https://www.prettyterrifickids.com. We read our books to children at schools and afterschool programs. (Figure 2.) We also developed ancillary materials, such as coloring sheets and teachers’ guides, to make our project more interactive and educationally effective. We could not have been successful without the following collaboration partners: • Hope4All, a Texas-based non-profit, which provided us with a foundational understanding of the needs of disabled children; • The Governor’s Commission on Physical Fitness and Sports of Alabama, whose

Figure 2

endorsement allowed our books to become an approved part of the curriculum for pre-Kthrough fourth-grade students statewide; • the Shelby County and Birmingham City school systems, who invited us to read our books to students; • our local Starbucks, who sponsored a “coloring contest’ for our books, displaying patrons’ work in their store; • JSCC’s Americans with Disabilities Office, which helped ensure that our books were accurate; • JSCC’s Latino Student Association, who helped translate our books; and • the Mellon Foundation, who awarded us a PTK HIA grant that assisted with printing and website expenses Check-in Zoom meetings with collaborators allowed us to receive their ongoing expertise, strengthening our content and assisting with our book series distribution.

Impact Quantitative results included that, through the endorsement of the Governor’s Commission on Physical Fitness and Sports, our book series became part of the approved curriculum for 298,523 pre-K through fourth-grade students in all Alabama public school systems. We also

The Art and Science of Play | 31

Figure 3

presented our project at the Alabama Community College Association conference, reaching multiple Jefferson State administrators, faculty members, and representatives from all 23 community colleges in Alabama. In addition, online tracking confirmed that our books reached readers in 31 states and 17 countries over five continents. These countries included Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Mexico, Papa New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the U. S., and Vietnam. We held readings at 17 elementary schools/afterschool programs. Surveys conducted after these readings confirmed our books’ efficacy. The 143 third and fourth graders we surveyed agreed with these statements at the following rates: • Including others is important: 97.7%;

• I can include all my friends when I play: 98.2%; and • I can work with my friends to find games everyone can play: 99.6%. At an assessment session, we reflected upon how we grew through our project. We improved at conducting research, delegating tasks, managing disagreements, and communicating effectively. After completing a draft of A SOUND DECISION, the chapter member who gave the initial presentation at our retreat kindly but firmly stated that the book contained inaccuracies. Because we were willing to receive constructive criticism,

our books evolved into more authentic, accurate works. In addition, members expressed a greater understanding of living with disabilities. We grew to see inclusiveness and access as celebratory goals instead of legal mandates. Two members even planned on majoring in child psychology because of our project. Qualitative results were our most gratifying. When we read our books to children, they would excitedly tell us about friends they had and how they could include them in play. It was beautiful to see the openness of kids whose hearts had not yet been limited by boundaries of physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. These kids wanted to play with their friends and were excited to learn how easy it was to make their playtime inclusive. We met Maggie, the little girl mentioned in our abstract, when we were planning our books. Maggie walks with the assistance of arm braces. When we visited her class, she drew a picture of herself and asked us to create a character who “looks like me.” We did so in our second book, ANYTHING IS “PAW”-SIBLE. (Figure 3.) When we returned to Maggie’s school and showed her the character, she exclaimed, “That’s me!” This is our most significant outcome. Our books promoted not just inclusion but belonging. The most significant barriers to inclusive play are societal constructs, and the PRETTY TERRIFIC KIDS series shows young readers how to dismantle these barriers. We hope our books inspire other kids to say, “That’s me!” and that anything is “paw-sible!”

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Resources Atki nson, C., Bond, C., Goodhall, N., & Woods, F. (2017). Children’s access to their right to play: Findings from two exploratory studies. Educational & Child Psychology, 34(3), 20-36. DOI:10.53841/bpsecp.2017.34.3.20 These University of Manchester professors noted that the United Nations declared a child’s right “to engage in play and recreational activities” a human right. They also stated that many disabled children encounter high barriers to play. These scholars argued that play is not a frivolous matter since games are just as crucial to children’s development as academic pursuits. This article confirmed that studying children’s play was an important academic pursuit that could lead to significant outcomes. Barr on, C, Beckett, A., Coussens, M., Desoete, A., Jones, M.C., Lunch, H., Prellwitz, M., & Salkeld, D.F. (2017). Barriers to play for children and young people with disabilities. De Gruyter Open Poland. DOI:10.1515/9783110526042 This consortium of United Kingdom professors argued that a multidisciplinary approach is necessary to provide access to play for 93 million disabled children worldwide. The barriers to play they noted included activity preferences, physical obstacles, and social barriers. They stated that while accessible playground equipment design is important, social barriers from non-disabled peers are the most significant impediments that children with disabilities face. These scholars also validated using storytelling as an effective way to educate children about inclusive play. Beck ett, A.E. (2015). Anti-oppressive pedagogy and disability: Possibilities and challenges. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 17(1), 76–96. DOI:10.1080/15017419.2013.8 35278 Beckett, a University of Leeds sociology professor, explored three major theoretical approaches to anti-oppressive education as they apply to disability studies: education about the other, education critical of privileging and othering, and education that changes society. Best practices

included celebrating differences, encouraging the disabled to speak for and represent themselves, and avoiding promoting disabilities as challenges to be overcome via exceptionalism. This source encouraged us to normalize disabled children instead of portraying a typical child as the benchmark to which other children should conform. Bun n, T. (2022, May 27). Zoom interview with the Beta Lambda Delta Chapter. Dr. Taylor Bunn of Baylor University is an expert on inclusive playground design. She noted that standards from the Americans with Disabilities Act are low and that many pieces of playground equipment, while legally compliant, are actually non-inclusive. She added that well-intended but poorly redesigned playground equipment can produce the unintended consequence of creating segregated play areas for disabled children. Dr. Bunn’s expertise guided us to emphasize education over fundraising for our action. Dod d, H.F., & Lester, K.J. (2021). Adventurous play as a mechanism for reducing risk for childhood anxiety: A conceptual model. Clinical Child & Family Psychology Review, 24(1), 164–181. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s10567-020-00338-w Professors Dodd (University of Reading) and Lester (Drexel University) challenged everything we learned about inclusive play. These scholars contend that risk-taking and even dangerous play should take precedence over inclusiveness. They argue that “adventurous play,” such as climbing trees and jumping rocks, allows children to develop coping mechanisms when faced with fear-inducing situations. While we found the overarching argument of inclusiveness more compelling, this source required us to consider the gains and potential losses that may come from more inclusive play. Gra ham, N., Nye, C., Mandy, A., Clark, C., & Morris, R.C. (2018). The meaning of play for children with physical disabilities: A systematic thematic synthesis. Child: Care, Health & Development, 44(2), 173–182. DOI:10.1111/ cch.12509

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This group of United Kingdom professors systematically studied how children with disabilities play by asking the children themselves how they felt about playing with peers. Findings included that play could feel both positive and negative for these children. Play could also draw attention to or away from a disability, depending upon the selected activity. This study confirmed the importance of foregrounding the voices of disabled children themselves rather than speaking for them. Ster man, J.J., Naughton, G.A., Bundy, A.C., Froude, E., & Vollenueva, M.A. (2019). Planning for outdoor play: Government and family decision-making. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 26(7), 484–495. DOI: 10.1080/11038128.2018.1447010 These Australian and American professors argued that children with disabilities experience play inequity. They posited that governmental interventions are needed at both local and national levels. They also noted that discussions and perceptions of disability are often limited to the physical while overlooking invisible disabilities. This source confirmed that we needed to include neurological, learning, and social disabilities in our action component. Wilk ins, J., Howe, K, Seiloff, M., Rowaan, S., & Lilly, E. (2016). Exploring elementary students’ perceptions of disabilities using children’s literature. British Journal of Special Education, 43(3), 233–249. https://doi.org/10.1111/14678578.12138 These Presbyterian University professors conducted a case study analyzing how elementary-age students react to children’s books featuring characters with disabilities, including physical and learning disabilities. They found that exposing children to books portraying disabilities in a high-quality, sensitive, and accurate manner increases children’s understanding and acceptance. This source encouraged us to read our books to children and to distribute our project as widely as possible.

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Play in the Elementary School Classroom Tau Theta Chapter Labette Community College Parsons, Kansas

Theme Economics of Play

Abstract As Tau Theta began focusing on The Art and Science of Play and the impact of play on mental health, focus turned to researching how play can assist with mental health episodes and issues in an elementary school classroom setting. It was discovered that playing games and using fidget toys provide a safe environment for children that will allow them to either speak about difficult issues or relax. Through multiple meetings and Google Drive sharing, members gained information through lengthy discussions on the effect play can have on mental health. It was concluded that the best way to determine a proper action was to hear from someone who works with children on a regular basis. A social worker from the local mental health center spoke with the chapter and provided further knowledge on the topic. Play can even provide structure when there are rules to follow so the child’s anxiety can decrease. In some games, children must step back and focus before making their next move, which may teach this strategy as something they can apply in a mental health episode. This collaboration led to the development of activity boxes for classrooms in the two-county service area of Labette Community College (LCC). The funds from the Honors in Action (HIA) grant along with additional funds from the chapter provided over 170 activity boxes that impacted over 2,500 students as well as staff and teachers in 14 elementary schools. This provided a local impact on how play could help impact mental health in Southeast Kansas and globally throughout their lifetime.

The Art and Science of Play | 35

Activity Box – Tau Theta Objectives The research objectives were determined during the summer chapter meeting/retreat early in June with almost a dozen members in attendance and new chapter officers taking the lead. The first objective was to collect at least 20 research summaries from members through an email request in September. In addition, an invitation to join the HIA team was extended. The second objective was to provide a virtual training in the summer for members from the college’s library staff. The third objective was to have all the HIA team members complete Research Edge as a part of the training for the project. Finally, the fourth objective was to reflect on the research summaries, have a speaker present on the topic of the impact of play on children’s mental health, and then finalize the answer, leading towards the action portion of the project. The chapter’s action plan was straightforward based on the research conclusion of needing to address mental health concerns of grade school students while in a classroom setting. Although mental health is a global issue, the members were focused on making a local impact through creating and distributing classroom activity boxes throughout the college’s service area. Tau Theta wanted to raise awareness and assist grade school students, teachers, and staff. Therefore, the action objectives emphasized this focus. The first objective was to reach out to all the grade schools in the two-county service area of LCC in hopes of collaborating with them on this project. A second objective focused on receiving the HIA grant to help fund the action project due to limited success of fundraising in the current economy. A final objective was to inform the community about the impact of play on mental health through a press release on the project.

Academic Investigation As the chapter completed its reflection on The Art and Science of Play during the June meeting, the theme of the benefits of play on physical and psychological health was a constant theme of interest in the many different areas, with a large majority of the discussion participants being education majors. Through further discussion and brainstorming, the focus on mental health and how it is impacted by play, especially for

elementary school children, became a passionate focus, therefore creating the question, What impact does play have on mental health in the classroom? Research was received from close to a half-dozen members after the request, which included a virtual training on academic research using the LCC library resources. All members were given access to a Google Drive created by Taylore, the chapter officer leading the research portion of the project. The HIA team then reviewed the research and developed a tentative answer that play can assist a student in dealing with a mental health concern while in the classroom, whether it is anxiety, depression, or ADHD that they are dealing with. At an August meeting, chapter officer Abbey spoke about her experiences working as a para in the schools and how play helped when a child was having an issue. Two other members, Baylee and Taylore also shared experiences from working in the local school district and how teachers had limited resources for students who may need something to temporarily distract from the issue they were experiencing. During one of the September chapter meetings, the HIA team member Abigail invited a licensed clinical social worker who spoke about the issue and her experiences working with children. Ms. Jones indicated even a simple game of “Connect Four” or a fidget toy can help a child refocus.

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Conclusions From our research, members determined they would like to address the issue by creating a project focused on elementary school classrooms. Although the impact of play on mental health is a global issue, the chapter felt they could make a significant local impact by reaching out to schools in the two-county service area.

Action After the presentation by the licensed social worker during the September meeting, the members discussed with the presenter their conclusions made from the research as well as the information just presented. Through the discussion, the group determined they wanted to create activity boxes for classrooms to impact the communities that LCC serves. Once the social worker returned to the mental health center, she sent the chapter a resource with different games and toys that could be included within an activity box. This collaboration with the local mental health center was key to meeting the action objectives that were set through addressing the

research conclusion that play can positively impact mental health episodes in a classroom. By providing activity boxes to teachers and staff, mental health incidents could be addressed quickly which would preserve a positive learning environment for all. The chapter developed an email as well as a follow up letter that was sent to the principals at all grade schools in Labette and Cherokee counties. From this communication, principals contacted the chapter to request activity boxes for a specific number of classrooms, with an understanding that they would be delivered by the end of November. The response to the request was larger than expected. Luckily, the chapter had received the HIA grant from the Mellon Foundation, which assisted in about one third of the funding needed for the activity boxes. In early November, the chapter gathered for a work session to assemble over 170 activity boxes that included 30 fidget toys, a “Connect Four” game, and various breathing exercise cards the chapter found. Tau Theta members worked several hours assembling the boxes, labeling

Activity Box Delivery and FUN!

The Art and Science of Play | 37

Pag Wednesday, Dec. 21, 20

Parsons Sun

Planned Parenthood starts telemedicin abortions in Kansas By John Hanna The Associated Press

Courtesy photo

LCC Phi Theta Kappa chapter members recently completed a project in which they distributed over 170 mental health activity boxes to area schools.

LCC Phi Theta Kappa’s project impacts area classrooms Labette Community College’s Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) chapter recently completed its honors in action project, benefiting 14 area schools. This project starts with focusing on the honor society’s study topic, this year’s being the art and science of play. The chapter decided to research the question: "What impact does play have on mental health?" With several members of the PTK chapter majoring in education, the research turned to the impact of play within a school setting. After reviewing findings from several academic journals, the chapter invited Cheryl Jones, a licensed social worker at the Labette Center for Mental Health Services, to speak at a chapter meeting. Jones, a PTK alum, talked about the importance of games when work-

ing with children, as they are more likely to be open about issues happening in their lives if they are playing. One example Jones used was the game of Connect Four. This game makes people step back and look at the situation before making the next move, which is something individuals need to learn to do when experiencing high emotions. Many games, fidget toys and breathing exercises can help students and teachers in the classroom when mental health issues may arise. PTK wanted to apply the information learned from Jones, so the chapter decided to create activity boxes for grade school classrooms. The chapter members wrote and received a $1,000 honors in action grant from Phi Theta Kappa and the Mellon Foundation. The chapter members reached out to

grade schools in both Labette and Cherokee counties to ask if the schools would like to receive the free activity boxes. The response was overwhelming, with 14 different schools requesting the boxes. PTK used its fundraising dollars to supplement the grant to ensure all the schools requesting the boxes would receive them. In early November, chapter members gathered in the Cardinal Cafe, putting together more than 170 boxes for area schools. Each package included over two dozen fidget toys, a Connect Four game and multiple breathing exercise cards. PTK delivered them to the schools in late November. School administrators and teachers expressed appreciation for these gifts as over 2,500 students in the counties were affected by the mental health activity boxes.

US braces for dangerous blast of cold, wind and snow

them, and organizing them by school. With so website and via email. Throughout the action many items, the members worked creatively to portion, members gained an appreciation for cording to the National Weather Ser- zero (minus 51 Celsius) by Thurs- ages in U.S. history, knocking out By Margaret Stafford, Josh Funk to 4their million customers Exposed couldhaving be electricity and frigid wind be fierce day and Juan Lozano assemble the boxes so thatvice, all the items forwillthe themorning. impact theyskin were within in Texas and leading to hundreds of frostbitten in a matter of minutes. across the country's mid-section. The Associated Press classrooms would fit properly. This part of the community on an issue that extends globally. Almost impossibly, the forecast deaths. “I would not be surprised if there The Electric Reliability eventhe worsepresentations for parts of Wyo- ended, of delays due towith wind and was KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Athrough large are lots process was possible collaboration Once the HIA teamCouncil of Texas, which manages the state’s of swath of the U.S. braced for a dan- also a lot of delays due to the snow,” ming. the LCC Shop who donated their services members excited grid, to saidsee last the week it exThe other 1,500-resident town of were Lusk power said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster for and gerous mixPrint of sub-zero temperatures, to have sufficient generation to see wind chillsand of 70read degrees the National exercise Weather Service in Col- could howling winds and condi-breathing and supplies to blizzard print the cards photographs thepects comments from meet anticipated electricity demand below zero (minus 57 Celsius.) tions scheduled to arrive Wednesday lege Park, Maryland. and Then, at the end of November, thegenerally teachers and students. The National Weather Service's during this week’s winter blast. Flights nationwide were and labels. disrupt plans for millions of holiThe council said it has implementon schedule midday Tuesday, but Cheyenne office said the temperaday team, travelers. delivered the boxes HIA to 14byelementary ture and wind chill Wednesday night ed reforms to increase reliability, The blast of frigid weather arriv- not in Seattle. schools across two counties. A combination of snow, rain and into Thursday “features some of the including bringing more generation ing on the first daythe of winter will Impact hammer the Pacific Northwest and low visibility caused nearly 200 northern Rockies before gripping the flight cancellations at Seattle-Tacoma process, Internationalthe Airport Tuesday Plains with cold and blanketDuring thisbitter day-long delivery chapter ing the Midwest with heavy snow- morning. Greyhound cancelled bus had demonstrate flexibility duebetween to several service Seattle areas and Spofall, to forecasters say. kane, Washington, due to winter By Friday, the arctic front willled of road construction that to longer distances push south into places that don’t weather. between Staff at each schoolonewere In Oregon, person died Tueshold up wellschools. in the cold, like the Gulf day team in an accident on Interstate 84 Coast. about the boxes. The excited requested Authorities across the country are near Rooster Rock State Park when a photos andthe comments fromsemi-truck the teachers once collided with theirthe SUV. worried about potential for power outages and warned people to take Police said the thin layer of ice on the boxes were delivered. In addition, the chapter precautions to protect the elderly, the highway may have been a contributing factor.Relations homeless and livestock — and, if Public collaborated with the LCC Nearly 113 million Americans possible, to postpone travel. Department to develop a press release that 50 was to travel miles or The northern-most regions of the were expected more fromas home holiday season, U.S. to could see wind chills outlets approach- as sent area media well onthisthe LCC ing 70 degrees below zero (minus 57 up 4% from last year but still short of the record 119 million in 2019, acCelsius) in the coming days. Even warm-weather states are pre- cording to AAA. Most were planning to travel by paring for the worst. Texas officials are hoping to avoid car; around 6% were planning to fly. Several inches of snow were exa repeat of the February 2021 storm that left millions without power, pected from Chicago through the

most extreme values you will ever online sooner if needed and purchasing more reserve power. see!” Tau Theta’s project led 2,500 children But a report on the power grid that “Please take precautions: Checkto over published last month on protect pets, ERCOT in elderly/vulnerable, Labette and Cherokee counties between 14 said shelter livestock, cover exposed that Texans could still face possible different schools receivingpower access tothis the activity outages winter if an exskin!” the service said on Twitter. Karina Jones’ family raises about treme storm prompted very high deboxes in over 170 classrooms. This would not 400 head of cattle in north-central mand for electricity. deep-freeze will be particuNebraska near Broken Bow, where have been possible withoutThe the HIA team writing wind chills as low as 50 below zero larly dangerous for the homeless. and receiving the $1,000 HIA grant from the In Kansas City, Missouri, emer(minus 46 Celsius) are expected gency sheltersKappa. are opening for anyThursday Friday mornings. She Phi Mellonand Foundation and Theta The said Nebraska cattle ranchers are “a one needing warmth, food or safety. chapter did contribute an additional $2,150 to cahearty bunch,” but the bitter cold is Organizers warn, though, that pacity is limited overnight. rough. ensure all activity boxes requested were fulfilled “We’re going to get in as many Ranchers “lie awake at night as well delivery expenses. This can,” said Karl Ploeger, chief praying thatas youto didcover everything you as we could for your livestock," Jones said. development officer for City Union In Kansas, where up to 4 inches of Mission, a Christian nonprofit. If the shelters are over-capacity at snow is expected to accompany wind chills dipping to 40 degrees below night, the mission works with other zero (minus 40 Celsius), Shawn Tif- organizations to try and find alternafany runs three feedlots with about tives spaces for people. “If we’re full and some other 35,000 cattle combined.

TOPEKA — A Plan Parenthood affiliate nounced Tuesday that has started teleconferen with off-site doctors patients seeking medi tion abortions at one of Kansas clinics, a small s toward potentially m broader access in a st that has become a desti tion for the procedure a an August vote affirm abortion rights. Planned Parentho Great Plains said it be offering telemedicine c sultations Monday to tients visiting its Wich clinic. President and C Emily Wales said the mediate goal is to h more days that patients go there to get medicat abortions. She said her filiate hopes to offer service to patients visit its other two clinics on Kansas side of the Kan City area “in short ord and eventually to all patients in doctors' offi and clinics across the st to teleconference with physicians. The move comes as K sas abortion providers they are seeing a flood requests for appointme from women in states w more strenuous restricti on abortion than Kan — particularly Oklaho and Texas. Kansas vot in August decisively vo to retain state constituti al protections for abort rights. The announcement ca less than a month afte state-court judge bloc enforcement of Kansas' on telemedicine abortio The abortionfinder. website lists 26 other sta in which residents seek abortion medications teleconference with d tors, including Colora Illinois, Iowa, Michi and Wyoming. Howev for some states, the web lists only online pill prov ers, such as Aid Access carafem. “My vision for telehea medication abortion is same as my vision for ab tion generally, which is t it would be widely acc sible by many provide Wales said in an interv ahead of the announceme The blocked Kansas

38 | The Art and Science of Play

contribution was worth the impact of helping teachers and staff address classroom mental health concerns with play. In addition, the boxes also promoted Phi Theta Kappa with the labels, furthering the visibility of the honor society. The press release that we distributed allowed the chapter to meet the final action objective but more importantly let the public know of the positive impact play can have on mental health at all ages. Many of the principals reached out to the chapter after the project to send photos, comments, and thanks. “As I hand delivered the activity boxes to each teacher yesterday their responses were all practically the same! They said, ‘Oh Wow! This is great, our students can certainly use these and so nice of Phi Theta Kappa!’ Thank you for supporting Garfield Elementary students!” – Misty Russell, Garfield School Principal. “We held an assembly to explain the donated activity boxes. The kids were excited to see the contents so we showed everyone what each class would receive. Thank you again. Our kids were excited to receive the gift.” – Kenneth Boeckman, Lincoln Elementary School. “Thank you so much for the activity boxes you made for our school. Teachers and students were thrilled when they received them. Thank you for supporting our school.” – Chris Kastler, Meadowview School. The planning and implementation process of the HIA program has left a lasting impact on members and officers through a hands-on approach to assisting on a local level with the global issue of mental health. Chapter officer Haley, who led the action portion stated, “Getting to go to each school and being able to help contribute was one of the best experiences, I loved watching the staff get excited to hand out the boxes to their students. This was truly a great experience I will never forget.” Additionally, Taylore, the chapter officer who led the research portion said, “I enjoyed learning more about researching a topic before starting a service project. To know why we created activity boxes makes seeing their daily impact even more special to me since I have started working in one of the elementary schools.” Members grew as scholars and leaders throughout the project, from learning project management and planning processes to implementation, while

having to be creative and flexible when facing obstacles. The skills learned within the HIA project will impact these students as they continue their education as well as when they are in the workforce. In conclusion, the project’s scope led members to understand The Art and Science of Play and the impact it can have on children who are battling mental health issues in a classroom.

Resources Brow n, S. L., McCobin, A., Easley, S., & McGoey, K. E. (2020). Supporting anxious children in the preschool classroom. Young Children, 75(3), 16–27. https://doi. org/10.2307/26979161 Classroom management techniques can decrease anxiety through limiting choice, providing structure, and using therapeutic limit setting. Play therapy allows children to express their feelings when experiencing anxiety. The article discusses several simple play activities teachers can use including, but not limited to, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, and reading, all of which bring the child to their “happy space.” Gu, X., Keller, M.J., Weiller-Abels, K.H., & Zhang, T. (2018). The roles of physical activity and sedentary behavior on Hispanic children’s mental health: a motor skill perspective. Quality of Life Research, 27(1), 185-193. https://doi.org/10.2307/44856085 Results of an experiment with over 140 children show that skill-based games with rules should be encouraged during school physical activity, which promotes the mental and physical well-being of the children. Jone s, C. (2022, Sept. 13). The game of life: The importance of play therapy [Meeting presentation]. Tau Theta Chapter Meeting, Labette Community College, Parsons, KS, United States. Ms. Jones spoke about the importance of games when working with children in therapy as through the play, children are more likely to open up about issues they are having. Parents sometimes don’t understand how important the games are to providing a safe environment to discuss difficult

The Art and Science of Play | 39

topics. The example of the game “Connect Four” was used as it provides children the opportunity to have to “sit back and take another look or perspective before reacting,” which is something they need to do when experiencing high emotions. Classrooms could benefit from several game options for teachers to use for students with ADHD, anxiety, and depression, along with other mental health concerns.

Ton g Lee, R.L., Lane, S.J., Yan Tang, A.C., Leung, C., Hang Kwok, S.W., Tak Louie, L.H., Browne, G., & Chi Chan, S. W. (2020). Effects of an unstructured free play and mindfulness intervention on well-being in kindergarten students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(15), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph17155382.

Kilb ourne, J.R., Scott-Webber, L., & Kapitula, L.R. (2017). An activity-permissible classroom: Impacts of an evidence-based design solution on student engagement and movement in an elementary school classroom. Children, Youth, and Environments, 27(1), 112-134. https:doi. org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.27.1.0112

Researchers found that unstructured play leads to more disruptive behaviors within the classroom setting. Providing teachers with a structured option that includes a mindfulness intervention promotes students’ happiness, which may help maintain mental health and well-being among stressful situations.

A case study of 26 fourth-grade students provided several lessons for the researchers. In regard to micro-movements or fidgeting, providing the opportunity for play within the classroom setting led to more engagement in the learning process. This engagement provides the foundation for less emotional issues within the educational day for the children. McN amara, L., Colley, P., & Franklin, N. (2017). School recess, social connectedness and health: A Canadian perspective. Health Promotion International, 32(2), 392–402. https://doi.org/10.2307/48518395 This article provided a different perspective that play, specifically recess, may not be suitable or optimal for all children. The article discussed that negative social interactions during play may impact children. The authors discussed opportunities for more structured options for play within the classroom. Ritb latt, S.N. & Longstreth, S. (2019). Understanding young children’s play. Young Children, 74(2), 78-85. https://doi. org/10.2307/26808916 Teachers help students develop emotional security when in the classroom. Play is one area where teachers can learn more about a child and help create experiences that will benefit their wellbeing when faced with mental health issues.

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The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer: Adopting a Pre-K Class Abstract Alpha Sigma Iota Chapter Louisiana State University Eunice Eunice, Louisiana

Theme Economics of Play

The state of Louisiana ranks second highest in overall poverty, second highest in childhood poverty, fourth lowest in median household income, and fourth highest in income inequality (U.S. Census Bureau, 2021). Focusing on the topic of childhood poverty in our community and ways we could have a positive impact by modeling positive play became our team’s top priority for this project. Our review of the literature on the negative impacts of poverty on child development coupled with our thorough review of the literature on effective interventions to mitigate those negative impacts formed the foundation for our action. Our chapter partnered with athletics to adopt three local pre-K classes to mentor 66 children living in poverty and facilitate active engagement in arts and crafts to help to mitigate the negative, short- and long-term effects that research has shown poverty to have on child development. Survey data shows the mentorship program was highly effective and valued by teachers and administrators at the school, and our chapter volunteers and campus partners also benefitted from the program tremendously.

Objectives Our initial research objectives were to: • conduct a thorough review of the Honors Program Guide followed by facilitated group discussions to ensure all team members have a comprehensive understanding of The Art and Science of Play; • have each HIA team member choose one article from the Civic Scholar (2022) to summarize and present to the rest of the team to better understand the components of a quality project; and

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• conduct a brainstorming activity to identify potential topics of interest and connect each suggested topic with the theme that is most appropriate rank the top suggested topics to identify the topic of choice for our project following the successful completion of our initial research objectives, our team identified childhood poverty and the impact of play as a broad topic from which our initial academic research was based. Our next research objectives were to: • connect chapter members with faculty and staff experts to provide training, guidance, and feedback in support of their growth as scholars; • create and implement a rating scale for each source to measure each source’s relevancy, currency, and scholarliness on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), and to regularly rank sources as a group at bi-weekly chapter meetings; • better understand the different ways children in poverty experience Christmas and how those experiences are related to their development; and • determine which interventions have shown to be effective in mitigating the negative developmental effects of poverty on children. Our chapter endeavored to partner with a local school in impoverished areas in our community to have a positive impact in mitigating some of the factors that lead to developmental issues related to poverty. We reached out to several local prekindergarten and kindergarten teachers and administrators at various schools to inquire about opportunities to collaborate on a sponsorship program. Crowley Kindergarten responded and expressed the most active and keen interest in this collaboration, and our team connected with one pre-K teacher who was our primary contact in the planning phase and throughout the project. Our chapter also endeavored to partner with another organization in the implementation of our action to expand the reach of this initiative. Our team lead contacted the athletics director who connected us with various coaches to pitch the project, as well as the anticipated time commitment and outcomes. The softball coach expressed the greatest interest in collaborating

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with our chapter on this initiative and allowed us to speak at a team meeting to further garner support from the student athletes.

Academic Investigation After thorough reviews of the 2022/2023 Honors Program Guide and Civic Scholar (2022), research trainings facilitated by English faculty and library staff, and topic selection activities, our team established an initial research question to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of childhood poverty. Our team asked: To what extent and in what ways does poverty negatively impact child development? Further research showed that childhood poverty is shown to have negative long-term impacts on several aspects of their lives as adults, including lower probability of marriage, lower salaries, and lower satisfaction with employment (Lesner, 2018). After initial discoveries and group discussions, our team narrowed down the research question further. We asked: For children living in poverty, what interventions have shown to have short-term and/or long-term positive impacts on their development?

Conclusions An analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau (2021) shows the state of Louisiana ranks second highest in overall poverty, second highest in childhood poverty, fourth lowest in median household income, and fourth highest in income inequality, which highlighted the importance of focusing on the topic of poverty in our community.

Action Our chapter used the knowledge we gained from the thorough review of the recent academic literature on poverty, its negative effects on children, and effective interventions to guide our action towards providing mentorship for young children in pre-K. Nwokah et. al (2017) showed that college student mentorship programs can be an effective intervention strategy for young children living in poverty. Basse (2018) showed the importance of improved arts education on mitigating the negative effects of poverty on children. Therefore, our action focused on chapter volunteers adopting pre-K classes at Crowley Kindergarten and engaging in arts and crafts projects with students throughout the fall 2022 semester.

The collaboration with the softball team expanded our reach and allowed us to include a total of three pre-K classes in this project. In those three classes, there were 22 children per classroom for a total of 66 children, and there were seven chapter volunteers and 10 softball student athlete volunteers for a total of 17 volunteers from our institution. This resulted in a child to mentor ratio of four to one, which allowed our mentors to have more individualized interactions with students to maximize the quality of the interactions and build closer bonds with the students. Crowley Kindergarten faculty and project team leads from our chapter collaborated to schedule classroom visits in October, November, and December centered around various arts and crafts projects. Most of the supplies for the projects were funded by our chapter funds, including over $500 in supplies purchased by our chapter. Towards the end of the semester, one chapter team member proposed the idea of a secret Santa program to close out the semester. This would involve the children writing lists of what they wanted for Christmas and using chapter funds to purchase Christmas presents for each of them. At the final class meetings of the fall 2022 semester on December 8, 2022, our advisor dressed up as Buddy the Elf from the movie Elf and accompanied our chapter team leads to the three classrooms to deliver the presents from the secret Santa initiative, closing out a very special and magical semester at Crowley Kindergarten.

Impact Our chapter, in partnership with athletics, conducted a total of eight classroom visits per class in the fall semester for a total of 24 classroom visits, equating to a total of approximately 408 collective hours of service for all our volunteers. Our chapter spent a total of $510 on arts and craft supplies and $394 on the Christmas presents for a total of $904. At the conclusion of the semester, our chapter team compiled a survey of the three pre-K teachers, three pre-K teacher aides, and the school principal to assess their satisfaction and other feelings about the impact of the mentorship program. Of the seven respondents, 100 percent were very satisfied with the partnership between LSUE’s chapter of PTK and their school and the attitudes and demeanors of the college student volunteers. All seven respondents believe this program had short-term positive impacts on students’ self-

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Figure 1

esteem as well as their appreciation for the arts. Most of the respondents believe this program will have long-term, lasting effects on their self-esteem and appreciation for the arts. These data along with enlightening comments and feedback can be found in Figure 1. Students journaled their experiences throughout the research and action project. Select entries from those journals are included here to show the qualitative impacts this project had on our chapter members, “Having the opportunity to play with preschoolers on a regular basis this semester has been a highlight of my time here at LSUE. At first, the interactions felt forced and awkward. However, eventually I found myself looking forward to seeing their faces and hearing their funny comments as we worked on finger paintings, spaghetti towers, and other fun creations. It was the highlight of my week every week and something I hope we can continue.” Another entry read, “Prior to participating in this project, I had no real experience with academic research beyond some basic English research papers. This project gave me the opportunity to embark on my own research, which I thoroughly enjoyed and want to continue after my graduation this May. Our chapter advisor, library staff, and English faculty were instrumental in developing my skills as a scholar and researcher, and I am forever in debt to their service and guidance.”

Resources Bass e, D. (2018). The role of arts education in closing the achievement gap in high poverty schools. [Master’s thesis, Western Michigan University]. https://scholarworks. wmich.edu/masters_theses/3431?utm_ source=scholarworks.wmich.edu%2Fmasters_ theses%2F3431&utm_medium=PDF&utm_ campaign=PDFCoverPages This was one of the most important sources that guided the formation of our action because it identified the importance of arts education on brain development for children living in impoverished areas. The authors show that the support of a robust art curriculum can address some of the developmental disadvantages that children living in poverty face, providing a framework for schools to adopt to make similar changes in their classrooms. Our group decided to focus on arts and crafts as a focal point of our intervention efforts largely as a result of this source and the data and results presented herein. Dau ch, C., Imwalle, M., Ocasio, B., & Metz, A. (2018). The influence of the number of toys in the environment on toddlers’ play. Infant Behavior and Development, 50, 78-87. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2017.11.005 This source was important because it provided a perspective that was in opposition to other sources

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that stated that children in poverty experience developmental delays as a result of not having access to the quantity of toys to stimulate growth. This study found that toddlers with fewer toys showed better focus and creativity in their play. Recommendations for rethinking the way educators provide play opportunities for toddlers are proposed. Ger tler, P., Heckman, J., Pinto, R., Zanolini, A., Vermeersch, C., Walker, S., Chang, S., and Grantham-McGregor, S. (2018). Labor market returns to an early childhood stimulation intervention in Jamaica. Science, 344(6187), 998-1001. https://doi.org/10.1126/ science.1251178 This source was particularly valuable because it focused on the long-term economic benefits of interventions for children living in poverty. Weekly visits from community health workers over a two-year span yielded greater cognitive and socioemotional skills that children in a control group. Twenty years later children who participated in this intervention earned 25% more than their peers who were in the control group. This study was essential in the planning and development of our action project. Lesn er, R. (2018). The long-term effect of childhood poverty. Journal of Population Economics, 31(3), 969-1004. https://doi. org/10.1007/s00148-017-0674-8 This source provided valuable information about how young children in poverty experience life decades later using variation among siblings to account for any innate factors and to identify poverty as the causal factor for variability. We learned that children who grow up in poverty have worse jobs, earn less money, and are less happy in their jobs. In regard to relationships, children who grow up in poverty are less likely to get married, to live with a partner, and to have children before the age of 30. The mechanics behind these relationships is believed to be the negative impact that living in poverty has on childhood skill formation, including communication skills and decision-making skills. Nwo kah, E., Becerril, S., Hardee, W., & Brito, E. (2017). Play with homeless and low-income preschoolers: University student experiences with service learning. The International Journal of Play, 6, 53-77. https://doi.org/10.1 080/21594937.2017.1288397

This source was viewed as the most important source because it provided a blueprint and sample results for a possible action that our team had been considering implementing. Ten college students adopted a preschool class comprised primarily of children who were homeless and/ or from low-income families, and they focused primarily on providing play and language support. They found that children often used play to reenact trauma from their home lives, and almost all of the children showed great resiliency and an eagerness to learn and to connect with their college mentors. The results show that college student mentorship of preschool children can have positive impacts, which played a big role in helping our team formulate our action project. Ove, P. (2018). Change a life, change your own: Child sponsorship, the discourse of development, and the production of ethical subjects. Fernwood Publishing. Select members of our research team were assigned by the chapter advisor to read parts of this book and share key takeaways at chapter meetings. This source provided a valuable perspective on the far-reaching impacts of child sponsorship programs, both on the developmental outcomes of the children as well as the positive psychosocial outcomes on the volunteers. This book talks about various interventions and the varying levels of helpfulness and impact they can have on areas of poverty collectively and on individuals. This source was very valuable in informing our action planning efforts. Quig ley, F. (2019). For goodness’ sake: A two-part proposal for remedying the United States charity/justice imbalance. Virginia Journal of Social Policy and the Law, 23, 201-251. https://hdl.handle.net/1805/11584 This source took a broader look at how the United States government views charity and its role in supporting the nation’s poor and proposes policy changes to positively impact its reach and efficacy. This source helped our chapter team better understand the overarching problem of poverty and gain a better understanding of how it can be more appropriately addressed on a larger scale.

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Applying the Montessori Method for Seniors with Dementia Beta Gamma Xi Chapter Middlesex Community College Middletown Campus Middletown, Connecticut

Theme Architecture and the Design of Play

Abstract Our chapter’s Honors in Action (HIA) Project was inspired by Theme 4: Architecture and Design of Play. It focused on how the Montessori method is designed to use play as a powerful tool and how its application can benefit seniors with dementia. Our chapter formulated questions that guided our research in accordance with Theme 4 and used scholarly articles as well as guidance from a local Montessori school to provide Montessoribased activities for seniors with dementia at The Village at South Farms -- a senior living facility near our community college, Middlesex Community College (MxCC). To supplement this event, our chapter spread awareness of the Montessori Method and its benefits for seniors with dementia by sharing our research findings with an introduction to human services class at MxCC. The Montessori event at The Village at South Farms and the class presentation were successful. Participants at The Village at South Farms expressed their enthusiasm for and enjoyment of the event, and the supervising staff member shared positive feedback in a survey. Students in the introduction to human services class were enthusiastic about the subject and expressed how our chapter’s findings are relevant to their personal lives and career goals.

Objectives The purpose of our chapter’s research was to gain knowledge about the Montessori method and lives of seniors with the goal of understanding how the two can be connected. We aimed to analyze reliable academic sources and collaborate with a Montessori expert to explore the playfulness, design, and environment of the Montessori method. Additionally, we wished

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to learn about potential applications of the Montessori method for seniors and challenges faced by seniors. A document to which all officers had access was created so links to articles could be easily found, articles could be organized by the research questions to which they pertain, notes could be shared, and areas needing more research could be identified. To achieve our goal of providing an event for seniors with dementia, our chapter planned to draw conclusions that would allow us to identify the needs of seniors and beneficial Montessori activities that could be provided. Our action objectives were to: • design and provide Montessori-based activities for seniors with dementia at a local senior living facility • raise awareness for the Montessori method, its prevalence, and its benefits Our collaboration objectives were to: • enlist the guidance of a local Montessori school for feedback on our activity planning • collaborate with an MxCC human services professor to provide a class presentation

Academic Investigation While reviewing the 2022/2023 Honors Program Guide, our chapter was intrigued by Theme 4: Architecture and Design of Play. Due to a personal connection with the Montessori method within our chapter, we recognized its connection to this theme as many Montessori activities are designed to involve play. However, our chapter’s knowledge of the Montessori method was limited, and we knew that more research would be needed. When discussing the general theme of play, our chapter acknowledged how play is commonly associated with a young population. This inspired us to explore issues faced by seniors and how the Montessori method could be beneficial. Our chapter created the following research questions: • How is play incorporated into the design and environment of the Montessori method?

• Since play and the Montessori method often target a young population, can seniors also follow the Montessori method? • Has the Montessori method been used by a specific senior population? • What challenges do seniors face, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic? • How can the Montessori method’s design help to address these challenges?

Conclusions We conducted research through online databases and assessed reliable academic sources. We concluded that the Montessori method encourages play through a freer environment and hands-on activities, it has been used globally by seniors with dementia, seniors experience loneliness and those with dementia often feel excluded, and seniors with dementia can benefit from playful group environments and activities. We selected eight sources that provided us with the most significant knowledge and that allowed us to design an effective event.

Action Our chapter’s Honors in Action project contained both awareness and action components. To promote awareness of the Montessori method’s benefits for seniors with dementia, our chapter collaborated with Dr. Jennifer Hernandez, a professor and program coordinator of human services at MxCC. Our chapter recognized the application of our project to human services and asked to present our research to Dr. Hernandez’s introduction to human services class. Chapter officers and members explained our objectives and distributed handouts containing a summary of our findings and additional resources, including the website address for the American Montessori Society, which grants Montessori schools with accreditation. We emphasized the global prevalence of the Montessori method, examples of activities, how Montessori activities have been proven to increase engagement and positive feelings in seniors with dementia, and the importance of these results as they relate to loneliness experienced by this population. Dr. Hernandez’s support was

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made clear by her enthusiasm and facilitation of engagement between her students and our chapter throughout the presentation. The action component of our project involved providing Montessori activities for seniors with dementia at a senior living facility in the community. Our chapter first collaborated with Martha Krane, the director and head teacher of Montessori Circle of Friends, a local and accredited Montessori school. Our chapter met with Ms. Krane at Montessori Circle of Friends where she provided a tour and demonstrated common activities. Our chapter continued to connect with her via email throughout our project to learn from her expertise, and she provided valuable insight and recommendations pertaining to activity options. Our chapter made substantial efforts to contact local senior living facilities, which proved to be a challenge as many emails and phone calls went unanswered. Therefore, our chapter enlisted the help of Dr. Rebecca Loew, a professor of behavioral sciences and the coordinator for sociology and anthropology at MxCC, and MxCC’s interim CEO. We connected with The Village at South Farms in Middletown, CT, where we corresponded with the program director (Ashley Meloy) to explain our goals and schedule an event for seniors with dementia in their Memory Care community. Ms. Meloy was an invaluable collaborator as

she was enthusiastic about the Montessori method, instantly welcomed our chapter, and communicated with additional staff members. The hour-long event at The Village at South Farms contained three hands-on, Montessoribased activities, all of which were inspired by our research and discussions with Ms. Krane and centered around the holiday season: sorting ornaments by color, stringing ornaments onto ribbon, and hanging paper snowflakes on garland. These activities were demonstrated by officers and selected based on enjoyability, the ability of seniors to use familiar objects, work in small groups, and follow the activities with limited outside assistance – Montessori elements revealed by our research and collaboration.

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Impact Eighteen students attended our presentation for MxCC’s introduction to human services class. Students showed interest in the topic by engaging in discussions with our chapter; they shared the applications of our project to their personal lives and professional goals as many had relatives with dementia and planned to work with seniors with dementia in the future. One student shared her positive first-hand experience with the Montessori method as she formerly attended a Montessori school. Additionally, a student whose young child was with her expressed interest in exploring Montessori schools for her child after learning about the Montessori method’s impact. Eight seniors with dementia attended our event at The Village at South Farms. After the activities, the seniors shared that they had an “excellent” time and were glad to have attended. The seniors particularly enjoyed stringing ornaments onto ribbon as they were enthusiastic about the “beautiful” ornaments and excited to use their creations as decorations. In a survey provided by our chapter, the supervising nurse rated the success of our event as “excellent” and provided the following explanation, “The students were friendly, kind, and gentle with the residents. All the residents that participated in the activity showed interest and stayed for the entire duration.” The supervising nurse selected “yes” when asked in the survey if she thought the activities were enjoyable for the participants, “yes” when asked if she thought the participants enjoyed working with one another, and “yes” when asked if The Village at South Farms would consider providing a Montessori-based event again. The quantitative and qualitative outcomes of our project prove its success. The number of students in attendance as well as the engagement and productive discussions between our chapter and MxCC’s introduction to human services class show that our chapter raised awareness for the benefits of the Montessori method for seniors with dementia. Additionally, the number of seniors in attendance, their positive responses, and the survey results show that our chapter implemented a meaningful event. Furthermore, after sharing the outcomes of our project with MxCC’s Student Senate, our chapter and the Student Senate look

forward to collaboratively continuing a connection with The Village at South Farms to strengthen the long-term bond between our chapter, college, and community. Our project not only impacted these students and seniors, but also our chapter. Our members and officers grew as scholars through analyzing the Honors Program Guide, working closely with one another to share discoveries and ideas, and conducting comprehensive research to learn about our theme and answer our research questions. As strengthened leaders, we gained experience in communicating with numerous members of our college and community, learned the value of teamwork and perseverance, particularly when navigating obstacles, and took pride in serving our community’s seniors. Furthermore, our chapter encouraged leadership in the students to whom we presented by providing them with knowledge that can help to make a difference in the lives of those they encounter during their future professional endeavors.

Resources El Bi lali, H., Henri Nestor Bassole, I., Dambo, L., & Berjan, S. (2020). Climate change and food insecurity. Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 66(3). https://doi.org/10.17707/ agricultforest.66.3.16 This source provided a focused perspective on the various ways climate change affects food security through food availability, access, utilization, and system stability. Cam p, C., Antenucci, V., Roberts, A., Fickenscher, T., Erkes, J., & Neal, T. (2017). The Montessori method applied to dementia: An international perspective. Montessori Life, 29(1), 40-47. https://amshq.org/AboutMontessori/Montessori-Articles/AllArticles/ The-Montessori-Method-Applied-toDementia. The Montessori method has been applied internationally for older adults and seniors with dementia in adult day centers, assisted living facilities, and nursing homes. Following the core of the Montessori method, the power of choice is highlighted; seniors choose their hands-on

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activities, which are explained by an instructor and designed in a way that allows seniors to follow individual steps. International applications of the Montessori method for seniors with dementia reveal that it encourages feelings of purpose, capability, and success. Cam p, C. J. (2010). Origins of Montessori programming for dementia. Nonpharmacol Ther Dement, 1(2), 163-174. PMCID: PMC3600589. Through the development of Montessori Programming for Dementia (MPD) after the Montessori method’s success with children (including those with learning disabilities), several beneficial Montessori activities have been determined: those that allow participants to choose what interests them, employ fine motor skills, produce a final result (and therefore encourage a sense of accomplishment), involve familiar items, and involve sorting objects into categories or using templates to match items. Kats uno, T. (2005). Dementia from the inside: how people with early-stage dementia evaluate their quality of life. Ageing & Society, 25(2), 197-214. https://doi.org/10.1017/ S0144686X0400279X. This study analyzed how seniors with dementia view their quality of life and the effect of stigmas. Most categorized their quality of life as mostly positive. However, due to stigmas surrounding dementia, they reported being socially excluded, belittled, and afraid of making mistakes. To better understand how seniors with dementia should be treated and how activities should be led, it is important to recognize stigmas and how negative assumptions about those with dementia can be psychologically harmful. Understandably, seniors with dementia want to be included and treated as capable individuals. Kotw al, A. A., Cenzer, I. S., Waite, L. J., Smith, A. K., Perissinotto, C. M., & Hawkley, L. C. (2022). A single question assessment of loneliness in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A nationallyrepresentative study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 70(5), 1342-1345. https:// doi.org/10.1111/jgs.17700.

A study assessing changes in loneliness experienced by older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed an increase in loneliness since pre-pandemic times. Additionally, lonely individuals were more often depressed. With the pandemic still affecting many individuals’ lives, the findings of this article and the concern of loneliness in an older population are very relevant. It is therefore important to find ways to reduce loneliness, such as providing group activities where individuals can interact, and friendships can be encouraged. Lee, J. H., Luchetti, M., Aschwanden, D., Sesker, A., Strickhouser, J. E., Terracciano, A., & Sutin, A. R. (2021). Cognitive impairment and the trajectory of loneliness in older adulthood: Evidence from the health and retirement study. Journal of Aging and Health, 34(1), 3-13. https:// doi.org/10.1177/08982643211019500. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness amongst older adults and seniors has been a concern. In a study from 2008- 2018 of individuals of 50-101 years old, feelings of loneliness were compared to cognitive status (normal, cognitive impairment without dementia, and dementia). Results showed that those with dementia experienced more loneliness than those without cognitive impairment. This emphasizes the need to encourage inclusion and meaningful relationships in the lives of those with dementia. Lilla rd, A. (2013). Playful learning and Montessori education. American Journal of Play, 5(2), 157-186. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ EJ1003949.pdf. The Montessori method is designed to involve two forms of play: guided play and free play. The first is that an instructor guides playful activities through demonstrations and feedback, and the second is free play with little or no instructor involvement. Through this play, children learn in an environment filled with playful hands-on, object-based activities that set the foundation for later learning. These activities are often interactive as children “play” in small groups. Activities are easy to follow and designed in a way for children to learn from mistakes with minimal instructor intervention. Importantly, the Montessori method fosters a freer environment where children can

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explore their individual interests and choose to participate in activities, they find most enjoyable. The Montessori method lacks extrinsic rewards; since playing is intrinsically motivated, the “reward” of Montessori activities is the intrinsic sense of accomplishment associated with completing the activity at hand. Ors ulic-Jeras, S., Schneider, N. M., & Camp, C. J. (2000). Special feature: Montessoribased activities for long-term care residents with dementia. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 16(1), 78-91. https://doi. org/10.1097/00013614-200009000-00009. More than half of seniors in long-term care facilities have dementia and so activities designed for this population are important, especially since many seniors with dementia in these facilities lack a stimulating environment and can become bored and irritated. To assess how Montessori activities can combat these challenges, a study of seniors with dementia at a long-term care facility compared the impact of Montessori activities to that of non-Montessori activities. Seniors participating in Montessori activities exhibited more constructive (active) engagement and less passive engagement. Additionally, Montessori activities sparked more observable signs of pleasure. Its positive impact is therefore perfectly clear. The percentage of seniors comprising the U.S. population has been projected to increase in the 2020s, making these findings even more significant today and in the years to come.

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Utilizing Virtual Play for Health Benefits Alpha Chi Lambda Chapter MiraCosta College Oceanside Campus Oceanside California

Theme Economics of Play

Abstract Today, more than two-thirds of Americans actively engage in online gaming. Said activity is often stigmatized by common misunderstandings and negative misconceptions. Video games are often described as inherently addictive, dangerous, and harmful to one’s mental health. In this study, members of our Honors in Action (HIA) research team rigorously examined these claims to determine if they were factual and scientifically supported. We also studied in-depth the numerous psychological benefits engaging in virtual play can provide for the general community. We discovered that virtual play can positively affect self-esteem, induce numerous psychosocial benefits, and can be utilized as an effective learning tool in schools. After careful deliberation and exploration of this year’s Honors Study Topic, The Art and Science of Play, we unanimously decided that our research interests aligned with Theme 2: Economics of Play. Having attained a more comprehensive understanding of video games, our team sought to address the widespread misinformation that stigmatizes the activity by educating our college’s student body. Thus, we developed extensive plans for an educational workshop open to all in our local communities. Members collaborated with the faculty at MiraCosta College to advertise and organize the event. To maximize attendance and address growing student concerns related to COVID-19, we concluded that the workshop should be held in the spring of 2023. Everyone who participated in this project experienced significant growth as students, scholars, and community leaders.

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Objectives Our research objectives were as follows: • read through the 2022/2023 Honors Program Guide to gain a full understanding of the Honors Study Topic, The Art and Science of Play; • recruit local PTK members to our HIA research team through advertisements and interviews; • establish and utilize a Discord server as an efficient means of communication and academic discussion between members; • organize weekly meeting times for sharing ideas, concerns, and personal reflections related to HIA; • develop a research question that all members are interested in and that helps address a prevalent issue in our local communities; • extensively research the psychological and physical consequences of engaging in video games using diverse, academically credible sources; and • determine how to maximize the benefits of engaging in video games while minimizing the harmful consequences that are associated with the activity. Our action and collaboration objectives were as follows: • utilize our HIA research regarding video games to help address and dispel prevalent harmful misinformation and stigma surrounding the activity; • collaborate with college faculty, staff, and students to coordinate and host an educational workshop at MiraCosta College open to all in our local communities; • create and rehearse an engaging presentation concisely summarizing key research points that can be taught to a large audience; • educate our student body about the many psychological and psychosocial benefits engaging in video games can have for those who play in moderation;

• develop entertaining, easy-to-read brochures summarizing our results for distribution to our audience during the workshop; and • reflect on our growth as scholars during this project and the many lessons we learned, recording our introspective thoughts in journal entries. While researching the psychological and physical consequences of virtual play, we learned that engaging in video gaming has many potential benefits for members of our communities. However, fear of the activity’s negative outcomes and widespread misunderstanding of the medium prevents numerous people from taking advantage of gaming. Said fear became apparent during our interviews with adolescents and adults in our local communities. Thus, we decided to organize and host an educational workshop at MiraCosta College focused on addressing concerns regarding video gaming, promoting the benefits of gaming, and teaching members of our communities how to avoid developing problematic gaming behavior and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). The workshop will be free and open to anyone in our student body and local communities.

Academic Investigation Members began their academic investigation by reading through the Honors Program Guide and exploring each individual theme. Having attained a general understanding of all seven themes, we discussed possible issues in our communities that could be addressed using research pertaining to the Honors Study Topic. To ensure the preservation of every idea presented during our discourse, members created a Google Document titled, “HIA Record of Ideas” that served as a logbook for our thought processes. After careful consideration and systematic brainstorming, members decided to extensively research the psychological and psychosocial consequences of virtual play. We began our research guided by our initial research question: “What are the psychological and physical pros and cons of virtual play?” However, our studies led us to amend the question after learning of the many unfavorable results associated with

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gaming. Understanding that there were also significant benefits that could result from gaming, our new research question became: “What are the psychological and physical consequences of virtual play, and how can we healthily engage in the activity to minimize the negative consequences?” Members reviewed 20 academic studies and articles, compiling and outlining sources relevant to our research goals. Sources were selected primarily from the MiraCosta Library and its 195 databases. For further guidance, we consulted a local professor who had formally researched video games in the past. Many hours were spent comprehensively analyzing and summarizing each individual source for pertinent information and data. Members then distilled these lengthy papers into concise summaries to be referenced when preparing for the actional project. For efficiency, each member was tasked with finding and outlining two articles per week. To help prevent the development of a biased perspective, members actively selected studies regarding both the positive and negative consequences of gaming. They determined that misinformation and stigma surrounding video games were far more prevalent than initially believed.

Conclusions Studies indicate that gaming is rapidly gaining popularity across the globe. In 2016 alone, the gaming industry generated over $91 billion worldwide, eclipsing both the film and music industries in terms of revenue (Ingram & Cangemi, 2019). There is little doubt that video games and eSports will become a vitally important aspect of our society soon. Thus, we concluded that clinicians and the general population should understand the impacts on psychological well-being gaming can have. However, interviewing diverse members of our local communities revealed widespread ignorance of the consequences of gaming, both positive and negative. For example, two 17-year-old high school students we interviewed expressed surprise upon hearing about the strong correlation between increased self-esteem and gaming. The benefits that follow from engaging in video games include increased self-esteem, increased

motivation to engage in sports, improved social skills and prosocial behavior, and improved cognitive skills, among many others (Granic et al., 2014). Video games provide people with immersive experiences that have the potential to enhance mental health, promote well-being, and improve learning. In a school setting, video games can allow students to engage in scenarios and situations that serve as valuable educational experiences (Hlodan, 2008). Additionally, studies have found gaming to be “...a beneficial medium for social activity amidst an epidemic of loneliness” (Grinspoon, 2020). Therefore, we reasonably concluded that gaming can be a very healthy and beneficial activity for all people. Members also extensively researched the negative consequences that could result from gaming. We found that there were many. Gaming was strongly associated with circadian rhythm disorders, depression, aggression, anxiety, eye strain, overuse injuries, fatigue, and the development of IGD. However, members found that these occurred because of “problematic gaming behavior” as defined by a Finnish study according to the Gaming Addiction Scale (Männikkö et al., 2015). Nearly every negative consequence of gaming can be easily avoided by integrating the activity into a healthy lifestyle balancing sleep, good nutrition, and exercise (Grinspoon, 2020). Minimizing excessive gaming requires self-discipline. Also, contrary to common belief, we found that there is no historical correlation between violent behavior and gaming from a statistical perspective (Ingram & Cangemi, 2019). Finally, studies show that only 0.3 to 1 percent of the general population could potentially qualify for a diagnosis of IGD (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2018). Therefore, the majority who engage in gaming do not display symptoms of IGD as recognized by the World Health Organization.

Action Members discussed our HIA project progress weekly via Discord and online calls. We were particularly interested in how to effectively educate members of our communities during the workshop. We decided to administer surveys using Google Forms before and after the

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event to measure our impact on the audience’s understanding. Said surveys gathered data regarding every participant’s general knowledge of video games, thereby assisted our team in evaluating their understanding. After gathering and analyzing survey results, we chose to create a comprehensive slideshow presentation using Google Slides that would allow us to convey critically important knowledge through an engaging and entertaining medium. The slideshow included interactive discussion questions, statistical graphs illustrating the rising popularity of gaming, and concise bullet points summarizing the essential information of our presentation. We broadly divided our presentation into four sections. The first section focused on introductions to stigma, video gaming, and its significance to modern society. The second section discussed the many verified benefits of gaming, including increased self-esteem and improved cognitive abilities. The third section analyzed many negative consequences usually associated with gaming and addresses common misunderstandings many have about the activity. The fourth section explained how to healthily engage in video gaming and avoid developing problematic gaming behavior. We also distributed custom-made brochures among the audience to encourage active participation and enhance the learning experience. Said brochures included concisely summarized information from our presentation and fill-in-the-blank sentences for participants to complete by the end of the workshop. A primary concern among many potential participants pertained to COVID-19 and the discomfort of being physically present in a crowded room. In response to these concerns, our team streamed the workshop online via Zoom. Thus, participants could freely opt to either physically or virtually attend. To ensure people knew about this event, we collaborated with our chapter’s vice president of public relations to release flyers advertising the workshop to the public. After consulting with some of the MiraCosta College faculty and staff, the team determined that hosting it in the spring of 2023 would allow for increased attendance and a more meaningful impact on our communities.

Impact Members of our team grew significantly during this research process as students, scholars, and leaders in our communities. Our personal reflections attest to this improvement. As students, we learned the inherent value of knowledge and its vital role in countering misinformation. We questioned our preconceived notions about video games and kept an open mind to attain a better academic understanding of the activity. Many of us found that our beliefs about gaming were unsubstantiated and unsupported by empirical evidence. As scholars, six members learned how to analyze lengthy, comprehensive studies and distill essential information into concise, detailed outlines. Their research skills improved considerably after successfully developing a research question, systematically reviewing 20 sources for data relevant to our inquiries and subjecting our conclusions to critical analysis. As leaders, we all learned how to effectively collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds—high schoolers, college students, immigrants, parents, and professors, among many others. The value of diversity became apparent during discussions when everyone would contribute their own unique, personal perspective about a topic at hand. We also learned the joy of learning for a greater purpose, learning for the sake of educating and assisting others in our communities. Studying became a means by which we could help others and improve ourselves. Throughout this journey, our team faced many unexpected setbacks and challenges. These included unexpected member resignations due to illnesses and prevalent concerns regarding COVID-19. However, the experiences taught us how to improvise and problem-solve. For example, members took advantage of Discord, a virtual gaming platform, to hold live meetings and maintain communications with one another despite the limitations on in-person interactions. Our work resulted in an exciting, comprehensive plan for an educational workshop to be held in the spring of 2023. We expect an audience consisting of both MiraCosta College students and members of our local communities after releasing advertising flyers on our school campus and Instagram. As such, we look forward to

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implementing our current HIA plans in two months to promote understanding and healthy usage of video games.

Resources Can gemi, J., & Ingram, J. (2019). Video games: Motivation, effects, and clinical implications on self-esteem. College Student Journal, 53(1), 1-12. https:// link.gale.com/apps/doc/A584328131/ AONE?u=anon~5cf875c4sid=google Scholar&xid=9f45e53d This article argued that certain video games can positively improve self-esteem, thereby benefiting a player’s overall lifestyle and encouraging participation in real-world activities. Additionally, it was found that, from a statistical perspective, video games do not cause violent behavior. This data disproves the common belief that video games facilitate violent behavior. Eng els, R. C. M. E., Granic, I., & Lobel, A., (2014). The benefits of playing video games. The American Psychologist, 69(1), 66–78. https:// doi.org/10.1037/a0034857 This study analyzed the many psychosocial benefits video games can cause in youth who engage in the activity. These include the development of cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social benefits. It argues video games can provide people with immersive experiences that can enhance mental health and well-being in children and adolescents. Ferg uson, C. (2007). The good, the bad and the ugly: A meta-analytic review of positive and negative effects of violent video games. Psychiatric Quarterly, 78(4), 309–316. https:// doi-org.prox.miracosta.edu/10.1007/s11126007-9056-9 This study found that, out of 17 publications linking video games and violence, there was only a 2 percent overlap. In comparison, there was a 24 percent overlap for positive effects, displaying correlation between positive benefits for individuals playing violent video games. This suggests that violent video game exposure is linked with positive benefits rather than negative consequences.

Grin spoon, P. (2020, December 22). The health effects of too much gaming. Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard. edu/blog/the-health-effects-of-too-muc h-gaming-202 0122221645 This article broadly evaluated the negative and positive consequences of gaming. It argued gaming can be a healthy, beneficial medium for social activity amidst an epidemic of loneliness. However, it also warned of the many harmful consequences that can result from engaging in virtual play for unhealthy amounts of time and called for moderation. King , T. K., Morse, B. J., & Sylvia Z. (2014). Virtual ideals: The effect of video game play on male body image. Computers in Human Behavior, 37, 183–188. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. chb.2014.04.029 This article found there to be an immediate effect on males’ body satisfaction when playing with virtual muscular male avatars. Said discovery indicates a relationship between male body image and video games. Customization of gaming avatars may positively influence players and their body image, supporting the idea that gaming can increase self-esteem. Män nikkö, N., Billieux, J., & Kääriäinen, M. (2015). Problematic digital gaming behavior and its relation to the psychological, social and physical health of Finnish adolescents and young adults. Journal of Behavioral Addictions, 4(4), 281–288. https://doi. org/10.1556/2006.4.2015.040 This study analyzed the strong correlation between excessive gaming and detrimental social and psychological behaviors. Problematic gaming is therefore something that should be avoided. However, the studies supported the idea that gaming can be beneficial to a person socially and mentally when balanced between gaming and physical activity. Oks ana, H. (2008, October). Digital games: Learning through play, BioScience, 58(9), 791. https://doiorg.prox.miracosta.edu/10.1641/ B580905

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This article extensively studied the numerous benefits—both current and potential—that virtual play has in a school setting. It explains that digital games can be a tool for learning both inside and outside the classroom. They can present students with educational situations students would not otherwise be able to experience. Sher er, J. (2023). Internet gaming. American Psychiatric Association. https://www. psychiatry.org/patients-families/ internetgaming This article reviewed current academic research and conclusions regarding Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). It described the ongoing debate between professionals on whether IGD should be classified as a separate disorder. The World Health Organization recognizes it as such and defined criteria for diagnosis, and we studied how to avoid developing the listed symptoms and game healthily.

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Cruisin’ to Tomorrow: Encouraging the Younger Generations to Take Part in Old Traditions Omicron Alpha Chapter Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Harrison County Campus Gulfport, Mississippi

Theme Nostalgia as Play

Abstract We focused our project on Cruisin’ the Coast, an annual event that celebrates classic cars. Cruisin’ celebrated 26 years in October 2022. At first, we thought about the economics of play since the event brings millions of dollars to Mississippi; however, the more we learned about why this event is so popular, the more we realized why so many people come every year to participate in it. We learned what these cars mean to not just their owners but also to the thousands of people who attend just to bring back those “childhood” memories of cruising the streets in these cars when they were new. This is the nostalgia of play, and there is a significant connection between classic cars and nostalgia. We found academic research sources that addressed how play can “evoke memories that challenge, inspire, traumatize, and heal.” We then found sources that closely link classic cars to nostalgia. In our first meeting with the Cruisin’ the Coast Executive Director Woody Bailey, we learned that the organization was concerned that not enough young people were getting involved to keep the event going well into the future. Therefore, we focused our research on the role nostalgia plays for the 8,000 plus car owners who annually participate in Cruisin’ and the actions that could be taken to promote awareness and appreciation of antique cars in two specific younger age groups: the children enrolled in our Early Childhood Development Program and our general student body (average age of 26). We researched the current situation, what needed

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to be done, how to meet these needs, and how to create and implement an action to do so. To generate excitement and awareness among younger people, we included both groups in our action plan. We believe the impact of our Honors in Action project generated excitement and created memories for the children and the students by providing the nostalgia as play that will help them one day carry on the tradition of Cruisin’ the Coast.

Objectives After meeting with the executive director of Cruisin’ the Coast and learning of his concern for the future of Cruisin’ the Coast because not enough young people were interested in taking part in the event, we posed the direct research questions: Why are young people not as interested in the Cruisin’ the Coast event as the older generation is? and How can we create actions that will promote the “nostalgia” in the younger people who have no direct frame of reference for these “memories?” Our research objectives were as follows: • focus on a single need or problem within Cruisin’ the Coast (the lack of young people participating); • identify ways to create awareness and involvement among the younger generation; and • incorporate nostalgia’s involvement in Cruisin’ the Coast. Our chapter set out to generate excitement and involvement in Cruisin’ the Coast within younger generations. Our action and collaboration objectives were as follows: • Instill an appreciation for classic cars, to generate excitement among the youth. • Organize an event to spread awareness about Cruisin’ the Coast. • Collaborate with our target audience and beneficiaries of our action/service, including the Cruisin’ the Coast officials, the children in our daycare program, college students, and general members of our community. We created activities to meet the objectives for these groups in our action plan. To study why

people participated in Cruisin’ the Coast and to understand the connection between nostalgia and event participation, members of our chapter traveled to the various event sites and interviewed cruisers asking questions regarding nostalgia. With pictures and quotes taken from our interviews, our chapter organized a virtual display and presentation that was distributed to every student on our campus, as well as uploading it to the Harrison County Campus (HC) Student Life social media platforms. We also decided that a great venue to present some of our actions was during our campus fall festival, at which we held events for our campus and community participants.

Academic Investigation Our research began online. Chapter officers did their own individual research on different aspects of play. After meeting and discussing everyone’s findings, we focused on Cruisin’ the Coast. For finding relevant sources, we first looked at the economic side of Cruisin’ the Coast. We sought out information on tourism revenue the event brought to the state of Mississippi and the amount of money individuals spent on repairing and upkeeping vintage cars. When doing this research, we found that there was another vital aspect of Cruisin’ the Coast that was constantly being mentioned, nostalgia. We began researching this theme and soon realized this was what we wanted to study, so we redirected our questions as previously stated. Several of our selected research readings provided answers to our research questions and our focused objectives, or at least a direction to some answers, for example, the readings from Cole (2017), Lehrmann (2017), and Minnis (2017) specifically address the nostalgia generated by these cars. When the executive director of Cruisin’ the Coast mentioned his concern for the involvement of younger people, we added a new research focus and found academic sources that followed these research questions: Why are the older generations drawn to Cruisin’ the Coast and why are there not enough young people involved?

Conclusions Setiffi and Scotto (2018) wrote about how nostalgia can be generated in youths who do not have personal memories associated with

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Figure 1 the classic cars. Sweeney (2020) goes even further to claim that nostalgia can be created in someone who has never had the experiences that provoke the nostalgia. Our officer team found that the biggest factors that stirred an interest in vintage cars were childhood memories. The officers concluded that our action/service needed to focus on the following question: how can we increase awareness among the younger generations to create memories and nostalgia to propel the future generations to carry on Cruisin’ the Coast? In examining our question of why the older generations are drawn to the Cruisin’ the Coast event, which takes place for a week and goes from one end of our 26-mile beach to the other end, we conducted our own research by visiting the different “stops” along the coast where participants display their cars and socialize with other cruisers and interviewing these cruisers about why they are attending and what their cars and this event mean to them.

Action We created activities to meet the target groups in our action plan, the children of our daycare and our campus student body. To study why people participated in Cruisin’ the Coast and to understand the connection between nostalgia and event participation, we created the first step in our action to interview participants of Cruisin’ the Coast. Our members conducted 19 interviews at different locations while the event was taking place. The following questions were asked: • What is your name?

• Where are you from?

• What year and model is your vehicle?

Figure 2 • How many years have you been participating in the event? • Why do you participate in the event? • What about the cars draws you in?

• Do you have any specific fond memories and/or experiences regarding your vehicle? All the interviews were recorded, and the participants were photographed with their vehicles. We created “pages” for each with pictures and quotes taken from our interviews with the participants, and our chapter organized a virtual display and presentation that was distributed to every student on our campus, and we posted the video presentation on the HC Student Life social media platforms (Figure 1). For children, our officers and members designed and constructed 12 cardboard “classic” cars painted in a variety of colors. Our chapter collaborated and coordinated with our Early Childhood Education Center and held a parade called “Cruisin’ the Campus” for the children in our daycare to march around the campus wearing the cardboard cars. Students, faculty, and administrators lined up to watch and cheer for the children. After the parade, the cardboard cars were collected, repaired, and used during our school’s Fall Festival where children from the community held a race and played with the cars (Figure 2). Also, our officer team collaborated with our campus Student Activities director to hold a classic car show during our Fall Festival (Figure 3). The officers contacted the local car clubs such as the Magnolia Classic Cruisers and the Mississippi Classic Cruisers and invited them to join our Fall Festival show.

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Figure 3

Impact

Since our objectives were to promote younger people participating in Cruisin’ the Coast by identifying ways to create awareness and involvement among the younger generation and how to foster a sense of the nostalgia of play and its involvement in Cruisin’ the Coast, we created the activities for young people to enjoy. We reached more than 7,000 people from the community who attended our school’s Fall Festival and were able to view the classic cars on display. During the Fall Festival, 50 children took part in “playing” and racing with the cars, and even one college student took part. Nine children from our campus daycare wore the cardboard cars and marched around during our “Cruisin’ the Campus” event. Our digital presentation of the Cruiser interviews reached our Harrison County Campus enrollment total of 2,837 students, and probably many more because it was shared on our HC Campus Life social media platforms. Since 19 Cruisers were interviewed, at least 19 of our members who conducted these interviews had the opportunity to share first-hand the sense of nostalgia these car owners feel. This is perhaps one of the most valuable qualitative results of our project. However, one of our youngest officers, a 17-year-old Collegiate Academy student, who was too young to volunteer to help at any Cruisin’ event, was given the opportunity to ride along with one of the Cruisers and participate in all the Cruisin’ events along the route. Mason, our chapter recording officer, rode in a 1981 Corvette. This gave him a sense of that nostalgia of play. Overall, we were given an opportunity to connect with older members of our community during the interviews and to connect with the young members of our community during our Fall Festival and Cruisin’ the Campus events.

Resources Che ung, W.-Y., Hepper, E. G., Reid, C. A., Green, J. D., Wildschut, T., & Sedikides, C. (2020). Anticipated nostalgia: Looking forward to looking back. Cognition & Emotion, 34(3), 511–525. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699931.20 19.1649247 Researchers found in this study that anticipated nostalgia can be self-regulated with efforts of positive associations and attempts to capture subjects’ experiences, meaning that more people savored their activities when participating in ways that were meant to preserve their memories like joining in a photograph. While constructing a plan of action, our chapter applied this concept. We focused on documenting our attempts to generate nostalgia by taking pictures, recording individuals at Cruisin’ the Coast, and sharing them with one of our focus groups- our general student body. This is an important source because we were able to use the principles learned from it. Cole , L. (2017). The classic car adventure: Driving through history on the road to nostalgia. Pen & Sword Transport. This book provided insight on a variety of individual’s interest in classic cars. The author travels, recording both personal memories and the memories of others interviewed along. This source was helpful because it focuses on why individuals developed a love for their vehicle or other vehicles belonging to a specific era, giving us a better understanding of the innerworkings of the minds of those who are like the people that would participate in an event like Cruisin’ the Coast.

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Lehr mann, E. (2017). MOTIVE through automotive compassionately criticizing the desires of car culture. [Master’s Thesis, University of New Orleans]. University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. https://scholarworks.uno. edu/td/2419 The author of this thesis revealed that their connection to classic cars has led them to create art pieces revolving around car culture. They bring up the memories they have of being at a young age and frequenting car shows with their family. The recollection of their impactful memories showed us the influence experiences like a classic car show can have on children of a young age. This makes this source important to our research goals. Minn is, J. (2017). The Rolt Memorial Lecture 2015: Defining the vintage car: L.T.C. Rolt, the Vintage Sports Car Club and the Rise of Motoring Heritage. Industrial Archaeology Review, 39(1), 2–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 03090728.2017.1283142 This source gives another viewpoint other than relating to nostalgia and leisure in regard to the appreciation of vintage cars. This different perspective highlighted for us that while nostalgia may be a driving force, there are other factors to consider when generating excitement around Cruisin’ the Coast. It highlights the craftsmanship and skills that were involved in the cars’ creation. The cars were made in a time when mass production was not as prevalent and the individual engineer had a more hands-on role. We found this source important for us to add depth to our understanding of nostalgia. Setif fi, F. & Scotto, V. (2018). Driven by nostalgia: A study of classic cars’ social representations among Italian youth. Italian Sociological Review, 8(2), 265–283. https://doi.org/http:// dx.doi.org/10.13136/isr.v8i2.237 This study found that classic cars can still stir up nostalgia in young people, such as emotional memories of the passage of the car from one generation to the next. It is important to us because it informed us that nostalgia is one of the main reasons young people are involved in classic cars. Many who do not have personal memories with classic cars cling onto them for what they once represented in the past.

Swe eney, P. (2020). Nostalgia reconsidered. Ratio, 33(3), 184–190. https://doi.org/10.1111/ rati.12272 The author of this article challenged standard assumptions pertaining to nostalgia. Sweeney writes that nostalgia can be purposefully triggered or involuntarily thrust upon a person and that there are many cases where people can feel nostalgic for an experience that they themselves have never had. For our purpose, this source is important because it helped us develop ways to share the Cruisers’ fond experiences with the younger age groups. Tam -Scott, D. (2009). Rationalizing the lunatic fringe: Bases of classic car enthusiasm. Intersect, 2(1), 104–125. https://ojs.stanford. edu/ojs/index.php/intersect/article/view/105 This paper showed that old car enthusiasts feel connected to vehicles for a variety of reasons, such as social and cultural implications and emotional experiential aspects. The author concluded that car collectors form relationships with their cars because they are personally meaningful. This helped our chapter members better understand why the Cruisin’ the Coast participants interviewed had such nostalgic attachments to their vehicles. Veitc h, J. (1994). Angels of the assembly line: The dream machines of the fifties. Southwest Review, 79, 650–658. https://www.jstor.org/ stable/43470553 This author stated that the vintage cars of the 1950s represented more than just vehicles. They represent a global concept; in this case a time of prosperity and peace, optimism, and adventure. In their time, they were advertised as the future and often compared to the cars that came before them to show how much progress was made with designs each year. We found this source important because it deepened our understanding that it is not just the car that provokes nostalgia, but the time period the car represents.

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Alpha Tau Presents: Cosplay Date Alpha Tau Chapter Moberly Area Community College Moberly, Missouri

Theme Nostalgia as Play

Abstract The Honors Study Topic research we conducted began with our question: How does immersive play within nostalgic activities inspire imagination and ingenuity? We utilized academic journals, articles, and other resources to formulate our conclusions. After attending the Central Missouri Renaissance Festival (CMRF) to conduct interviews, we found that the information we gathered solidified our analysis that immersive play fulfills a need within communities. The need we discovered was for an escape from reality, giving people the opportunity to relax through play. Our research showed that play is not exclusive to any age– it is important across generations. Since social interactions decrease with age and older individuals have insight to provide, the opportunity for seniors to interact and play in a nostalgic way with younger generations is pivotal. These opportunities are scarce, so we provided an inclusive event to foster these connections. We catered to many ages through video games, carnival games, and music from the 1950s. Collaborating with student affairs, the janitorial team, computer services, and marketing we fostered a successful event. Through direct observation and surveys taken by participants, the outcomes of our project led to the following conclusions: • Feelings of nostalgia decrease stress.

• During stressful times, engagement in enjoyable activities leads to a healthier mindset. • Immersive play within nostalgic activities inspires imagination and intergenerational interaction. • These conclusions show play improves mental health. Out of the 23 people in attendance, 91 percent reported that they utilize play to cope with mental health conditions, and the stress levels of 91 percent of attendees decreased after the event.

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Objectives As a small college with low membership, our Honors in Action (HIA) team is our officers and a few members. Beginning our project consisted of meeting to discuss shared interests as they relate to the HIA themes. Originally, we questioned, “Do people with marginalized identities struggle with accessibility to play?” At that point, Theme 3 was most applicable. As our discussion progressed, we explored Theme 6 and asked, “How do generational differences in play affect the outcome of ‘XYZ’?” We researched how educational structure, or lack thereof, affects socialization, creativity, etc. Building on that, we shifted intergenerational play and dropped educational constructs out of our question. Then, we researched how social interactions decrease with age, the impact of the ways play has devolved, and inspected the possibility of a relationship between these two ideas. We wanted to uncover how limited social networks can be mitigated by intergenerational play. The evidence that engaging with others can lessen depression and anxiety led us to inquire whether immersive play or nostalgic activities provide connection between one’s past and present while facilitating engagement in the surrounding world. We utilized a variety of resources, including books, academic journals, and online articles and theses. As a team, we picked the 8 resources that best reflected our research objectives and conclusions. The primary research we did through personal interviews at the Central Missouri Renaissance Festival (CMRF) was our most exhaustive source of information. Nearly everyone we talked to reflected that the festival improved their mental health. Upon leaving CMRF, we knew that we wanted to provide a similarly positive experience for our community. The festival being an experience for all ages to enjoy was used as a template for our own project. Furthermore, this observation reiterated the relationship between generations and the nostalgia in connecting to one’s inner child; thus, deepening our idea that we could utilize play to help create a healing experience for our community. When we began researching, it was difficult to see a greater purpose. It was interesting research, but it was not until we entertained the possibility of creating an engaging event for our community to destress that the research became more meaningful. What

began as broad research quickly turned into a project we became emotionally invested in. Through our research, we discovered the negative impact of intergenerational disconnect. Through our experience at the festival, we narrowed our goals and began developing specific ideas for the project. We aimed to provide relief from real-world stressors through immersive play. Accomplishing this required meeting multiple times monthly in-person and via Zoom; we texted and emailed between meetings. When a date was confirmed, we had one month to orchestrate things. Our president emailed primary and secondary schools in our district to extend an invitation and ask if any would help create decorations for the event. Our goal was to engage the larger community, not just our college, and aimed to reflect this in such collaborations. Flyers were hung in local secondary schools and Moberly Area Community College’s (MACC) marketing department advertised online. We created four separate atmospheres that night through music, games, decorations, and cosplay

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characters. Our research relayed play benefitting stress relief; therefore, we kept that as a point of action in our project. People in attendance included MACC students, family members, faculty from secondary schools, and members from the community.

Academic Investigation As explorative research guided our project, our final research question became: “How does immersive play within nostalgic activities inspire imagination and ingenuity?” Immersive play lessens depression and anxiety, can lead to strengthening memory, and creates opportunities for a more nostalgic–and happier–mind. This was found to be true in employees of CMRF who deeply adore what they do and take pride in their play. They shared what makes immersion in imaginative play special to them. Most everyone reported variations of the same feeling– unparalleled joy. The respondents love to share in the bliss others experience while immersing themselves in the fantastical Renaissance town. Participants told us that at the festival they can be who they desire to be and escape from the reality

of bills, work, and stressful scenarios. The festival environment makes it easy to forget about these factors of life as, “The characters [they create] get a life of their own.” Everyone engages in different levels of immersion, but we found that those partaking in deep immersive play, like creating a persona, appear to be the most outwardly happy. One wood carver said, “It’s not easier, it’s simpler.” She went on to say that getting in character is, “like a light switch.” She becomes a different person, “It’s a self-confidence issue. It’s kind of sad that that’s the way the world works. It suppresses being free.” A cloak maker was a prime example of how participants often use this form of play to help selfregulate. She stated that her mother taught her to sew at age eight and uses it to cope with Asperger’s Syndrome, maintaining our idea that there is healing in nostalgia. Conversing with a content smile, it was apparent that she found comfort in feeling accepted amongst those at the festival in a way she does not experience in daily life. Our interviews with members of the festival’s royal court proved invaluable. Upon learning that we were conducting research, we were invited to sit with them on the stage. They provided many

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detailed responses on what CMRF does for them by creating a safe space, bringing them together as family, and putting the outside world on hold. The king noted that “In today’s day and age, a lot of people want to forget… we give them a safe place to [do so].” Some state that at the festival they can be themselves and don’t need a facade. They can be their odd selves in a space free from judgment. One stated that many fellow cast members have deep trauma and use the festival in their healing process. The royal court expressed their enthusiasm for our project; they gave us their contact information and asked us to update them regarding the project’s outcome. The juxtaposition of the royal court staying in character whilst referencing their life outside of the festival aided in our project development by showing us that one can be immersed in fantasy in a way that facilitates suspension of disbelief but doesn’t shut the door on reality. Every person we interviewed at CMRF mentioned comradery and community as the most important elements the festival provides. This furthered our idea that engagement in one’s surroundings, and those around them, creates a mind at ease. The “magic” of the festival shows that play can be used as a mental break.

Conclusions By relating our research prior to the festival to our findings at CMRF, we concluded that play and nostalgia have therapeutic benefits, including mitigating depression and anxiety. Nostalgic play fosters imagination and encourages long-term memory by stimulating the brain; it provides connections between generations and promotes intergenerational learning. Various forms of play react with the brain’s reward system and foster the recall of positive memories. The imaginative space created by nostalgic play helps to develop executive function and provides learning opportunities for all ages. One of our most significant conclusions is that play connects a person to their past and to other generations, and that nostalgic play is a method of healing. Our interviews at CMRF substantiated this conclusion.

Action This HIA project promoted fun, stress-relieving activities for all ages to enjoy. We aimed to create a safe space for people to play comfortably and experience carefree happiness; thus, allowing

them to enjoy play as a coping mechanism. We targeted a broad group of people ranging over all generations, including elementary, high school, and college-age individuals and their families. To market the event, we created flyers that were distributed to local schools and shared online. We hoped to: • attract a range of participants to analyze intergenerational connection • see different age groups react and connect to the games • determine how these reactions differed and influence intergenerational interactions • promote happiness

• analyze how people play at different stages of life and different levels of stress While we had a positive impact on participants, we wished to attract a wider audience and more participants. The impact, according to our survey, consisted of patrons stating almost unanimously that engagement relieved stress and elicited much needed joy. Without help from janitorial staff and computer services we wouldn’t have had a clean space or a video game setup. Student affairs provided prizes for us to distribute, and marketing helped with advertisement. Our original plan was to host a Renaissance festival, but we didn’t have time to execute it properly. Limited time and resources led us to host a cosplay event with five themed rooms. To produce the highest quality event, we scaled back to three rooms: Alice in Wonderland, Games through the Ages, and a sock hop.

Impact As a result of implementing and reflecting upon our HIA project, we found that people of all ages are less connected to other generations and this lack of social engagement leaves individuals depressed and unfulfilled. Realizing we could meaningfully impact others transpired upon leaving CMRF. The HIA process honed our collaborative research skills, aptitude for working on an academic team, and built confidence in our abilities. We learned to be more realistic, proactive planners. We began meeting and discussing possibilities toward the end of summer, but the depth of research limited our time to

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implement our project. The CosPlay Date allowed everyone an opportunity to unwind during a typically stressful time of year. Ninety-one percent of attendees reported that they’d use some form of play to cope with mental health conditions and 91% reported their stress reduced post-event. Many stated board games and video games bring back childhood memories. Sixty-one percent of patrons stated they played board games during childhood. This shows that immersive play engages the mind and provides nostalgic, intergenerational connection and due to all these things, all can live happily ever after.

Resources Barb er, D. (2013). Renaissance Faires and Festivals: Motivations and Perceived Value of Visitors to a Small Texas Faire. [Master’s Thesis, Texas Tech University]. https://ttu-ir.tdl.org/ bitstream/handle/2346/58211/BARBERTHESIS-2013.pdf This study focused on motivational reasons for attending a faire based on gender and social class. We learned community, self, and relationships are reasons for participating, and as a vendor, nurturing relationships between residents and vendors is highly valued. Cen tral Missouri Renaissance Festival. (2022, October 23). Personal Interviews. Kingdom City, Missouri. We attended CMRF to gain a better understanding of immersive play and to interview individuals about what the festival provides for them. Every interviewee relayed that the festival provides a haven for its community. This event was what led to our decision to provide a similar experience. Hop pes S, Wilcox T, & Graham G. (2001). Meanings of Play for Older Adults. Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 18(3), 57–68. https://doi.org/10.1080/j148v18n03_04 This study focused on health in older adults and how play impacts physical and mental health in adults. Throughout researching, the idea of self-expression was evident, this paper also exemplified that need for creating a person’s identity. This fits into how adults continue to play as they age.

Koro l-Evans, K. T. (2009). Renaissance Festivals: Merrying the Past and Present. McFarland & Company, Inc. The author provided history on Renaissance festivals, examines how they break boundaries between reality and make-believe, and discusses the impact that they have on their communities. This source aided in research by providing supplementary evidence to our findings at CMRF. We were able to synthesize this information with other sources regarding the similarities between the patrons’ experience and how children experience play. Mar kijon, A. C. (2009). “Wet, Dirty Women” and “Men Without Pants”: The Performance of Gender at the American Renaissance Festival. [Master’s Thesis, Graduate College of Bowling Green State University]. https://etd.ohiolink. edu/apexprod/rws_etd/send_file/ Festivals provide performers and visitors with a complex environment and opportunity to explore identities. This source outlined how those interactions between different performers allows exploration of concepts like femininity and masculinity, which was important as we observed this at CMRF. Applying this reading to our observations at CMRF developed our concept of the issues in this thesis. Perr yman, K., Blisard, P., & Moss, R. (2019). Using creative arts in trauma therapy: The neuroscience of healing. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 41(1), 80–94. https://doi. org/10.17744/mehc.41.1.07 This work outlined how creative activities help heal trauma. Trauma causes the brain to process through fight or flight response. Creative activities engage regions of the brain that process and reconsolidate memories. The healing potential of play was a major focus of our project so the scientific evidence on the benefits of creativity inspired our project further. Spie gel, A. (2008). Old-fashioned Play Builds Serious Skills. https://www.npr. org/2008/02/21/19212514/old-fashionedplaybuilds-serious-skills This source remained relevant throughout our project. The more structured playtime becomes for

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a child, the less apt they are to self-regulate. As the structure play evolved to being toy-filled and more scripted than the past, children’s imaginative abilities diminish. We initially intended to apply this source to the development of mental acuity, but as our research question narrowed, we applied it to our idea that immersive play instills a feeling of freedom in adults, much like we feel as children. Zim bardo, P. G., Johnson, R. & McCann V. (2016). Psychology: Core Concepts. Pearson. This textbook, along with our brainstorming process, helped us learn the scientific reasons behind abstract ideas surrounding our theme. This information expanded upon our more liberal sources. Having scientific validation propelled our research, making it more comprehensive.

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Impacts of Reduced Play Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic Alpha Beta Psi Chapter National Park College Hot Springs, Arkansas

Theme Economics of Play

Abstract Our chapter’s investigation into the Honors Study Topic, The Art and Science of Play, led us to develop a research question that best fit theme two: “The Economics of Play.” Many of our team members observed and experienced negative effects from the lack of normal recreational activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This led us to develop our research question: How did alteration of normal play and recreational activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic affect individuals physically and psychologically? Through our research, we discovered that negative effects from the lack of normal recreational activities most greatly affected the elderly population. The negative impacts included increased anxiety, depression, and body mass and decreased physical activity, quality of nutrition, and cognitive functioning. The elderly population is the primary group of individuals who are still suffering the consequences of the lack of play. To combat these negative impacts on our local elderly population, we developed a robust volunteer program to elicit volunteers to participate in playful activities with elderly individuals in our community. To get as much campus and community involvement as possible, we developed a volunteer campaign to elicit volunteers and incentivize participation. Our action resulted in the establishment of a volunteer collaboration with the Atrium at Serenity Pointe, which included over 20 volunteer sessions that collectively served 153 elderly individuals for a total of 222 service hours. Our project opened the eyes of our chapter officers and members to the deficits faced by our local and global elderly population due to the lack of consistent recreational activities during the pandemic. We gained much wisdom from the elderly individuals we were able to engage meaningfully with during our playful activities and realized that much can be learned from the leaders of the past.

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Objectives Our academic research was inspired by the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the disruption of daily leisure and play activities and its impact on various populations in our local community. We decided to explore the impacts of the disruption of leisure and play due to COVID-19. We set the following research objectives: • form a research team with at least three individuals; • develop our refined research question involving the potential effects of altered play and recreational activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals; • find 10 articles per person on our team (30 total) that provide information on our research question that covers a broad range on our topic; • narrow down the articles to the most relevant four from each researcher; • further narrow and annotate/format citations for our top eight sources; • analyze which populations were most affected to better target our action; • complete the research by the beginning of August 2022; and • apply for an HIA grant from PTK and the Mellon Foundation to assist with our project. Our research findings clearly indicated that elderly individuals were most chronically impacted by alterations in their daily play and recreational activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This led us to set the following action and collaboration objectives: • contact local residential facilities for the elderly and inquire about how we may assist with recreational and play activities with their residents; • establish a program to recruit individuals from our chapter, campus, and community to volunteer service time to participate in play and recreational activities with members of the elderly population in our area;

• establish dates and times for volunteers to sign up to participate in playful activities with the residents at local facilities; and • develop a prize program to incentivize volunteer service time from members of our campus and community.

Academic Investigation Our team met to discuss what we had observed in our area that would tie to the Honors Study Topic and which theme we would like to explore. We decided to explore the impacts of the disruption of leisure and play that COVID-19 had on people’s lives. After much discussion on the current Honors Study Topic, The Art and Science of Play, we felt that Theme 2, Economics of Play, best fit our research interest. Based on our observations and discussions, we formulated the following research question to guide our efforts. How did alteration of normal play and recreational activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic affect individuals physically and psychologically? We researched the impacts of COVID-19 on the daily play and recreational activities of children, young adults, adults, and the elderly populations. In the younger population, especially collegeaged individuals, their daily recreational activities and play were not as significantly affected. While children were considerably affected, they returned quickly to normal activities, and the lasting effects were minimal.

Conclusions We learned that there were several major areas that were impacted by the alteration of normal play and recreational activities due to social isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic in elderly populations, and these individuals were impacted the most based on our research. The negative effects on these individuals included: • increased anxiety

• increased depression • increased body mass

• decreased physical activity

• decreased quality of nutrition

• decreased cognitive functioning

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We found that, while alteration of normal play and recreational activities had many negative effects on the elderly population, there were some positive outcomes such as building closer bonds with family and grandkids in some circumstances. Overall, our research clearly revealed that, while other age groups were acutely affected, elderly populations were and are chronically affected by the pandemic. Analysis of our research findings clearly indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted and continues to impact the elderly population. This led us to explore an action focused on advocating and supporting recreational and play activities for elderly individuals.

Action After learning about the significant negative impacts that the lack of normal play and recreational activities had on the elderly population, our team unanimously agreed that we must take action to help combat these negative effects locally. We determined the best way we could make a positive change was to get as many people as possible to volunteer to spend time doing recreational activities with elderly individuals in our area. To get as much campus and community involvement as possible, we developed a campaign to elicit volunteers and incentivize participation. This campaign consisted of a flyer that explained our research findings and our chapter’s plan of action (Figure 1). It also detailed that individuals and teams who logged service hours would be eligible for a drawing for gift card prizes and that those with the most total hours of service would have increased chances of winning. We provided a link and a QR code that led participants to a Google Form where they could log their service activity and provide the requested information for our data collection purposes. This flyer was emailed to everyone on campus and posted in our campus D2L announcements. We also handed out the flyer at several campus events and shared it with people in our local community.

Our project involved many collaborators which included: • the Atrium at Serenity Pointe, a local assisted living facility, allowed us to establish recreational volunteer opportunities on scheduled dates and times for volunteers to sign up and complete service time; • Jessica Cain, who coordinated the volunteer sign-up process for the Atrium at Serenity Pointe; • our campus Online Learning Department, who posted our flyer in our campus D2L system; and • the Mellon Foundation and PTK who provided the HIA grant funds used to fund our prize program.

Impact Quantitatively, our HIA project resulted in: • the establishment of a volunteer collaboration with the Atrium at Serenity Pointe, a local residential facility for the elderly, which included over 140 volunteer activity time slots over a 50-day period; • over 20 volunteer sessions (one in another state) that collectively served 153 elderly individuals for a total of 222 service hours; and • awarding six volunteers with $1,000 in gift card prizes. Qualitatively, our project resulted in: • a strong partnership with the Atrium at Serenity Pointe and our membership which will continue for the foreseeable future; • a positive impact on the lives of the elderly individuals we were able to engage in play; and • a semblance of hope that our local elderly population will once again have play as part of their normal daily lives.

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Our project opened the eyes of our chapter officers and members to the deficits faced by our local and global elderly population due to the lack of consistent recreational activities during the pandemic. Our team has grown as scholars and leaders through the process of coordinating volunteer opportunities with the Atrium at Serenity Pointe and through communication with our campus and community to elicit volunteers. We also gained a deeper understanding of the academic investigation process and the development of intentional action. We certainly saw both the costs of not having play and the benefits of engaging in play for elderly individuals. Perhaps most importantly, we gained much wisdom from the elderly individuals we were able to engage meaningfully with during our playful activities. We realized that much can be learned from the leaders of the past.

Resources Biel ec, G., & Omelan, A. (2022). Physical activity behaviors and physical work capacity in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(2), 891. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph19020891 Conducted during COVID-19 lockdown, this 14-week trial demonstrated that the weight of participants was unchanged, despite not having access to “swimming pools, sports halls, and fitness clubs.” It should be noted that the physical activity of the students was also unchanged. This source showed that university-age individuals were not significantly impacted. Call ow, D. D., Arnold-Nedimala, N. A., Jordan, L. S., Pena, G. S., Won, J., Woodard, J. L., & Smith, J. C. (2020). The mental health benefits of physical activity in older adults survive the COVID-19 pandemic. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry: official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(10), 1046–1057. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jagp.2020.06.024 This article reported on a survey that was collected on information about depression,

anxiety, and physical activity levels of older adults and addressed whether total physical activity levels and physical activity intensities performed by older adults during COVID-19 were related to mental health symptoms. The study showed that greater total physical activity levels were associated with lower scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale. This showed us the importance of light to moderate physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of elderly individuals. Che men, S., & Gopalla, Y. N. (2021). Lived experiences of older adults living in the community during the COVID-19 lockdown - The case of Mauritius. Journal of Aging Studies, 57, 100932. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jaging.2021.100932 This article showed that elders had an immense fear of infection when the pandemic first started. This led to every adult in their survey halting social activities and lead to fears of deprivation and strain on their psychological health. The effects were not all negative in that it also led to positive growth with the closeness they had to family members in some individuals. Jolli ff, A., Zhao, Q., Eickhoff, J., & Moreno, M. (2021). Depression, anxiety, and daily activity among adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional survey study. JMIR Formative Research, 5(12) doi: https://doi.org/10.2196/30702 This article showed that adolescents who were stuck at home due to the pandemic had slightly higher scores of depression than other children who were at school. This was correlated to their socioeconomic status with a lower status being more significantly impacted. Shal ash, A., Roushdy, T., Essam, M., Fathy, M., Dawood, N. L., Abushady, E. M., Elrassas, H., Helmi, A., & Hamid, E. (2020). Mental health, physical activity, and quality of life in Parkinson’s Disease during COVID-19 Pandemic. Movement disorders: Official journal of the Movement Disorder Society, 35(7), 1097–1099. https://doi.org/10.1002/ mds.28134

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This article showed that elders with Parkinson’s disease suffered worse anxiety, reduced physical activity, and decreased motor functioning due to the COVID-19 lockdown. This article highlighted the significant impact of the pandemic on elderly populations. Yam ada, M., Kimura, Y., Ishiyama, D., Otobe, Y., Suzuki, M., Koyama, S., Kikuchi, T., Kusumi, H., & Arai, H. (2021). The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and new incidence of frailty among initially non-frail older adults in Japan: A followup online survey. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 25(6), 751–756. https://doi. org/10.1007/s12603-021- 1634-2 This article showed that the time elders spent in physical activity decreased further after each new wave of COVID-19 which led to increased frailty among this population. The reduced activity led to decreased levels of nutrition, cognitive functioning, and motor skills. Ye, J . (2020). Pediatric mental and behavioral health in the period of quarantine and social distancing with COVID-19. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 3(2): e19867. DOI: 10.2196/19866 This article detailed the side effects of being quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic. It showed that there are negative psychological impacts on children from not being able to play with other children.

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Parsing out the Puzzling Play of Preschoolers: The Structure and Design of Play Tau Gamma Chapter Northampton Community College Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Theme Architecture and Design of Play

Abstract

After preliminary research exploring the 2022/2023 Honors Study Topic, The Art and Science of Play, we chose Theme 4: The Architecture and Design of Play as our theme for our Honors in Action (HIA) project. Prior to our research, members of our research team completed the PTK Research Edge. We also applied for a $600 HIA grant which we used to fund our project and as an honorarium to faculty who assisted. Then, we researched the differences between interactive and observational designs of play. We explored the theme in relation to the popularity of online play. Our research revealed the developmental effects in young children through observational and interactive play. After reviewing and analyzing the research, we concluded that the growth of human cognitive, psychological, and social abilities is significantly influenced by play. At a young age, children are more influenced by observational play. As children grow into adolescents, they grow more accustomed to learning through interactive play. Our experiment studied the different styles of play performed by children. We reasoned this experiment would assist future scholars in educating young children through interactive play. We found that interactive play, rather than observational play, resulted in more engagement and creativity. We worked with the childcare center located on Northampton Community College’s (NCC) campus. To involve the community, we collected educational supplies and games to donate to an elementary school. Our donations totaled over 180 items, including additional items purchased using our HIA grant funds. Finally, to measure the impact of our project, drive, and experiment we created our hashtag, #PlayToKonnect. Our hashtag was shared on our chapter’s and NCC’s social media pages.

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Objectives Our HIA project operated on a loose timeline set at the beginning of last year. Our research objectives were to: • create a team of six to eight members to work on our HIA project • spend the spring and summer of 2022 reviewing the 2022/2023 Honors Program Guide • collect a minimum of 16 sources that we will narrow down to eight for our HIA Hallmark Award entry (one of these sources, regarding mirror neurons, inspired our project’s topic) • work with a research librarian to affirm our sources are scholarly • complete our academic investigation of the Honors Study Topic in September 2022

collaborating with administrators at the college’s children’s center, multiple professors, members of the education club, and the college’s Instructional Technology Department, who recorded the experiment. We created the toy drive to foster learning through play at a local at-risk elementary school by collaborating with the school and the education club. We aimed to promote awareness about our project and the educational benefits of play through our social media campaign which had the hashtag, #PlayToKonnect. To accomplish this, we received assistance from NCC’s Marketing Department and shared information on our chapter social media platforms. Our main collaborators that assisted with the completion of our action objectives were: • members of the Education Club at NCC • the students, educators, and staff at the children’s center

• gain more experience conducting an experiment

• a local at-risk elementary school community coordinator

• learn to cite sources in APA, 7th edition format

• professors of developmental psychology and research methods

• communicate and collaborate with other organizations on campus While there was much we hoped to learn from this HIA project, we understood that completion of each of our research objectives was entirely essential to our HIA team’s success. According to one of the HIA project chairs, “The most difficult part of the research process was narrowing down our many useful sources to just eight.” This task was made much easier thanks to the training we received on finding and evaluating scholarly sources through our NCC library and working closely with a research librarian to evaluate our sources. In addition, six of our team members completed PTK’s Research Edge in preparation to meet our research objectives over the summer. We had three main action objectives: • conduct an experiment

• run and advertise an educational toy drive • promote our project using a hashtag on social media

Each of these objectives were planned in our weekly Friday Zoom meetings, through emails, and in-person meetings. We conducted an experiment to test our research conclusions by

Academic Investigation When we began, our team researched topics related to play. All ideas were compiled and added to a communal Google Doc, accessible on the chapter’s Google Drive. Among various topics, we chose to focus our research on the differences between interaction and observation of play. Our most important source, regarding mirror neurons, inspired our research question, In what ways do the design and structure of interaction vs observation in play influence development? Mirror neurons are the brain cells that allow humans to mimic things they see performed by other humans (Marsh, 2012). We felt this research question related to Theme 4, Architecture and Design of Play. Our focused research yielded results that informed us on topics such as Parten’s six stages of play (Rymanowicz, 2021), the value of learning through play (Hébert & Jenson, 2020), and the emotional and social development of young children through play (Lindsey & Colwell, 2013).

Conclusions Upon fulfillment of our team’s research objectives, we extracted six research conclusions. Observational and participatory modes of

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interaction have different physiological and cognitive consequences (Lindsey & Colwell, 2013, Rymanowicz, 2021). The structure and content of play changes over time and is then passed down to following generations, helping us understand our world and each other in different ways (Marsh, 2012, Toh & Lim, 2022). Play has a crucial impact on the development of human cognitive, psychological, and social skills (Lindsey & Colwell, 2012, Rymanowicz, Toh & Lim, 2022). Learning through play is most effective when children participate directly in the play activity (Acheson, 2014, Hébert & Jenson, 2020, Reed, 2007, Worch & Haney, 2011). Observation and mimicking are part of Parten’s six stages of play and must be mastered in early childhood before moving on to develop interactive play (Lindsey & Colwell, 2013, Marsh, 2012). Research suggests observation and modeling play is an important role in the process of learning (Lindsey & Colwell, 2013, Marsh, 2012). Our research conclusions directed us toward working with children, as much of our research stated that play had more of an impact at a young age. This resulted in us conducting an experiment with preschoolers to test our research conclusions and creating an educational toy supply drive as the service component.

Action Our three action objectives were inspired by our research and focused our actions on early childhood. We promoted awareness about learning through play. We conducted a social media campaign to promote learning through play, and we conducted a game and school supplies drive. The action component of our HIA project allowed us to experiment to test our research conclusions that interaction through play will have more impact than just observation of play in skill acquisition. We started with promoting awareness by posting content related to the theme of play on our Instagram and Facebook accounts. NCC marketing assisted by posting content with our hashtag to the college’s social media platforms as well. Our team members found posts related to play and STEM centers to promote awareness for our project among students, administrators, and community members in our region. Team members found and created humorous memes related to play that would connect with our social media followers

featuring toys, video games, board games, and even Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play. To promote learning through play, we collaborated with members of the education club to sponsor a supply drive. Members of both clubs collaborated to create a promotional flier that was posted on social media, on campus, and sent in a campus community weekly email. Our four decorated collection boxes were strategically placed around campus, to be checked by the team. Over the course of four weeks, we received donations from students and college staff. We collected educational supplies based on the wishlist the school provided which included educational games, balls, and school supplies. We also used the remaining money in our HIA grant budget to order more expensive educational supplies that the school needed. Finally, we conducted an experiment in which we tested our research conclusions. We collaborated with the children’s center and members of the Education Club to conduct an experiment with 4 to 5 year old preschoolers who should be progressing to interactive play at this age. Our experiment was conducted by having two groups of preschoolers attempt to complete a puzzle. Group 1, the observation group, viewed a video of a child completing the same puzzle they were to receive after watching the video. Group 2, the interaction group, viewed the video while interacting with the puzzle. These two groups exemplified two different structures of play, observation and interaction. We hypothesized that students would be more successful with interactive play and skill acquisition in cognitive and social areas. We had our team observing the children live and had two members helping facilitate the experiment in the room with the preschoolers. We also recorded the experiment, which we consulted later to reinforce our findings. While running the experiment we came across a few miscues. First, the experiment started later than planned due to a miscommunication about the setup time versus the experiment start time. Next, the room we used for the experiment was not set up properly and needed to be reorganized for recording. Regardless, we did not let the unexpected rough start keep us from accomplishing our objectives. Even though we

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felt we had room for improvement, we still pulled extensive data from our team’s observations and learned to run a successful experiment.

Impact While the quantitative and qualitative outcomes of each of our action objectives varied, we discovered there was an overwhelming theme of positive impact on our college community, our local community, and region. The preschool teacher in the childcare center said this about the children’s performance in the experiment, “Students exhibit parallel play rather than cooperative play due to lack of socialization during COVID. Part of the curriculum for the pre-school is adjusting for this delay in student development.” This statement was clearly reflected in the results of the experiment. We found the students did not work as a unit to solve the puzzle in either the interactive or observational groups. However, among both groups, 50 percent of children exhibited helping behavior. This helping behavior involved pointing to unsorted pieces, showing others creative ideas, and in one outstanding case, completing the puzzle. There was also evidence showing that the children in the interactive group, who interacted with the puzzle and each other while viewing the video, were more engaged and creative. It was observed that students in the interactive group did not spend much, if any, time viewing the video prior to interacting with the puzzle. We concluded that abstaining from viewing the video led students in the interactive group to be much more likely to work on the puzzle longer, as well as use their own approach rather than follow the video (Figure 3). Conversely, the children in the observational group all dumped out their puzzles as shown in the video to demonstrate they were done. However, 75 percent of the students in the interactive group didn’t dump out their puzzle at all. The interactive group exhibited more overall creativity than the observation group and continued to interact with the puzzle in additional ways until we ran out of time. Multiple team members also noticed that the children would sing to themselves as a form of concentration. Another component of our HIA project was an educational toy drive to support an at-risk school. Over four weeks, we received 184 donations. In addition to this, the HIA team used grant money

to order specific items the elementary school needed, including dry-erase boards, erasers, and computer headphones. In response to our donation, the community school coordinator stated, “Your efforts will help sustain our students and staff throughout the remainder of our school year, and we are so grateful for the support!” Our educational supply drive was advertised on our social media pages, utilizing the hashtag: #PlayToKonnect. On our social media pages, we made 12 posts using our hashtag and reached 585 followers. Two of our posts were also shared on NCC’s social media platforms with their 5,000+ followers. These pages will continue to be maintained and tracked to discover the most beneficial way to reach an audience. Our HIA project presented members with opportunities to grow as scholars and leaders. We learned how to create and follow a budget, analyze research, and evaluate sources. We had an engaged team that gained new experience in creating an academic experiment using the scientific method. We hope by sharing our experience with the college, the children’s center, and our membership, they will have a better understanding of how the structure and design of play can influence social and cognitive development.

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Resources Ache son, L. L. (2014). Student learning lhrough hands-on industry projects. International Conferences on Education Technologies and Sustainability, Technology and Education. 1118. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED557318 This article presented the opposing view of what we want to display in our experiment, that observation of play can be a way to learn and enjoy play. It states that nothing can replace interactive activity. It supports this with a study done with college students and their perceived preparedness for their field of choice. Héb ert, C. & Jenson, J. (2020). Teaching with sandbox games: Minecraft, game-based learning, and 21st century competencies. Canadian Journal of Learning and Technology, 46(3), 1-22. ERIC. https://eric. ed.gov/?id=EJ1306302 This article emphasized the use of play to teach necessary critical thinking skills to students and demonstrated to us a good framework on how to present our own experiment to young children. Lind sey, E. W. & Colwell, M. J. (2013). Pretend and physical play: Links to preschoolers’ affective social competence. MerrillPalmer Quarterly, 59(3), 330–360. https://doi.org/10.13110/ merrpalmquar1982.59.3.0330 This study correlated the effects of pretend play to the development of necessary social skills, such as cooperativeness or the ability to read body language. Additionally, this article mentions there is not only social, but emotional development taking place at an early age through play. Mars h, J. (2012, March 29). Do mirror neurons give us empathy? Greater Good: ScienceBased Insights for a Meaningful Life. https:// greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/ do_mirror_neurons_give_empathy An interview with an expert on mirror neurons provides clarity on their purpose in the human body. Mirror neurons are the brain cells that allow humans to mimic things they see performed by other humans.

Reed , S. (2007). The Importance of symbolic play as a component of the early childhood curriculum. Essays in Education, 19(1), 3647. https://openriver.winona.edu/eie/vol19/ iss1/4 This article reinforced many ideas we had surrounding the developmental benefits play had on children. It also presents the idea that teachers, or us as experimenters, should act as a more facilitating force rather than an instructing one for true learning to occur. Rym anowicz, K. (2021, June 1). The power of play – part 1: Stages of play. Early Childhood Development. https://www.canr.msu.edu/ news/the_power_of_play_part_1_stages_of_ play In this article, Parten’s six stages of play were reviewed, how they differ, and how to foster growth in each area. The source served as a good general resource to understand the theory behind development in childhood play. Toh, W., & Lim, F. V. (2022). Learning in digital play: A dual case study of video gamers’ independent play. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 17(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-022-00182-2 The ideas presented in this article support that play can be a useful method of learning. Demonstration of actions such as critical thinking and empathy show clear student engagement and intensity of thought. Wor ch, E. A. & Haney, J. J. (2011). Assessing a children’s zoo designed to promote science learning behavior through active play: How does it measure up? Children, Youth and Environments, 21(2), 383–407. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7721/ chilyoutenvi.21.2.0383 The idea of play-based learning was introduced to us by this article. The study concluded that children benefited most from learning lessons about nature through playing games. This furthered our research on how trauma-informed learning can effectively alleviate stressors caused by emotional disturbances.

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“Eat, Play, Reflect” Sharing Meals, Employing Music Therapy, Practicing Mindfulness, and More While Evoking Nostalgia as Play to Build Community and Enhance Mental Well-Being Alpha Rho Pi Chapter Northwestern Michigan College Traverse City, Michigan

Theme Nostalgia as Play

Abstract What is the “secret sauce” to human connection? Our chapter focused on improving student and community members’ wellbeing. Theme 6, Nostalgia as Play, research exposed bountiful opportunities to facilitate nostalgia and play gatherings to build resilience, better mental health, and gain a sense of belonging and connectedness. The springboard to activities was an area summit focusing on youth mental health. The PTK attendees were emboldened with a call to facilitate stigma-reducing change and build support. As our research unfolded, we were able to redefine play as music, food, mindfulness, reflection, and therapy. We see nostalgia as the conduit to it all! We learned that in order to create an awareness of belongingness and community, we first needed to hone in on our resiliency. We asked ourselves, “How might play build social connection, comfortability, and vulnerability to evoke nostalgia that challenges, inspires, and heals our community?” Stemming from feelings of isolation throughout the lingering pandemic, coupled with the data, we aided in providing Northwestern Michigan College students with mindfulness techniques, music therapy, nostalgic games, a movie night, and more. We found that nostalgia creates hope. Our focus on belongingness brought support to NMC students, at-risk youth, and community members, having lasting effects of hope for the future.

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Figure 1

Objectives Our chapter employed an established research model with specific tasks and timelines to create a hardworking team of scholarly investigators. Members attended a series of meetings to review and discuss themes. After much discussion, our chapter decided on Theme 6, Nostalgia as Play, and we began journaling on our Discord channel. As 42 total citations flooded our Discord server, mental health was a prominent theme. We screened their relevance to understand if play could be used to build community, comfortability, and vulnerability and if creating a spirit of nostalgia could counteract adverse mental health effects. For more local awareness, the chapter officers immersed themselves in community mental health by participating in the first of four Elevate Northern Michigan: A Youth Mental Health Summit. Along with our research, this summit helped our chapter’s curiosity about play’s power in exposing nostalgia through social connectedness to decrease stigma and build support for mental health. We then held a planning meeting to reflect, brainstorm, and create a vision board, which led to our semester timeline plan of 11 events to meet our objectives. We are confident in the impact of Nostalgia as Play and its potential to create lasting effects, extending past our deadline. Our Mellon Foundation-PTK HIA Grant submission was the first step in our objectives to fund our multifaceted project. We desired to provide resiliency, gratitude, and mindfulness activity-based workshops to improve health and happiness, as well as nostalgic play events, with resources that will remain available on campus and in the community. In terms of collaboration, our objectives were to work closely with school administrators, leverage a relationship with an academic advisor, and reach out to the community

facilities, authors, and multiple global, nontraditional, and unique mental health experts. We collaborated with our facility departments, student groups, and community to accomplish goals.

Academic Investigation Multiple resources point to mental health as a prominent issue emerging from the global pandemic that halted social interaction. We discovered that nostalgia is a coping resource during isolation that can boost happiness and combat loneliness (Zhou, 2021). Our chapter noticed the need for more student engagement on campus and in the community. We met with our college president who felt that creating belongingness on campus was a desperate need and encouraged our chapter to explore mental health and well-being. Many early conversations about Theme 6 led us to utilize play as a form of community. We collaborated with the faith student group, His House, to host a Reflective Movie Night showing the children’s Pixar movie about feelings, Inside Out. During the movie, students completed an anonymous questionnaire with five reflective questions to understand their frequency of emotions and the cost of avoiding “negative” emotions.

Conclusions We were astounded by the depth and vulnerability of the responses. Over half of the students said their most frequent emotion was “happiness” and “contentment.” However, their emotions are complex, as sadness or loss fluctuates. One of the responses said, “We can’t have sunshine and rainbows without rain.” We gained relevant data from students to support our research question: “How might play build social connection, comfortability, and vulnerability to evoke nostalgia that challenges, inspires, and

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Figure 2 heals our community?” Our research helped us conclude that Nostalgia as Play builds a sense of social connectedness to counteract adverse mental health effects (Dobbins, 2020). One initiative was hosting a Game Night to kick off our newly acquired games for our campus recreation area, which would ensure the ongoing fulfillment of students’ nostalgic and social needs. We purchased a variety of popular games ranging from Clue to Twister (Figure 2). This initiative is one of many that encapsulated the careful research and action we took to address Nostalgia as Play, creating lasting change.

collaboration with Student Success Ambassadors (Dobbins, 2020). This event was altered from years past to increase fun and interest and introduce students to the concept of play. Our research led us to Jennifer Gifford’s Resiliency Skills Training Workbook (Figure 3). We were intrigued that many of our resources capitalized on resilience and nostalgia creating hope (Chelsea, 2021). Our co-advisor used the workbook to lead a four-week Resiliency Skills Workshop. We built on a more profound sense of social connection, comfortability, and vulnerability within our chapter to share our healthier selves with the campus.

Action

As several workbook exercises involved mindfulness, we partnered with Kristy McDonald, the Experiential Learning Institute Director, to host a mindfulness workshop to strengthen techniques to come into the present moment, acknowledge our thoughts and feelings (nostalgia), and let go of stress. This workshop was received well by all participants. The pandemic previously halted Kristy’s weekly mindfulness workshops, and she was waiting for interested students to help restart, so our chapter organized seven future biweekly mindfulness workshops.

After the first Youth Mental Health Summit, the officers were blown away by the local mental health professional Dr. Megan Stilwill. Her osteopathic approach employs various healing modalities, including music, art, movement, play, and nature-based therapies. We arranged a Therapeutic Energy Workshop for the college, where she presented about mind-body connections and provided healing mindfulness strategies. After the workshop, our chapter was inundated with positive participant feedback. Students explained that they immediately felt more content and would use the strategies. The Family Feud game we hosted was the project’s first event as part of our Welcome Week

Our chapter collaborated with the Office of Possibilities at NMC to brainstorm how Nostalgia as Play could combat campus mental health concerns. It was suggested to use the “Gratitude

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We worked with academic advisor Bridget Sova, a former music therapist, to lead ukulele sessions, as we understood music’s enhanced emotional regulation and healing power (Zhang, 2022). Bridget instructed a ukulele lesson for NMC mentors to share the mental health benefits of music therapy with their at-risk mentees, furthering the college students’ practice and spreading the skill into the community. The event was significantly impactful, as the college students reported feeling a sense of relaxation and joy from the music therapy, spreading healing to the community, and we have another lesson scheduled.

Impact

Figure 3 and Pasta” novel by Chris Schembra to host a gratitude meal to build social connection, comfortability, and vulnerability with nostalgic food such as pasta. Our chapter read the intriguing and strategic book and contacted Chris to design an event for our NMC mentors and Blair Elementary staff in our College Project. Chris coached our chapter to plan the dinner as a three-act play using the present, past, and future to find gratitude and improve resiliency. We asked the participants Chris’ signature question, “If you could give credit or thanks to one person in your life that you don’t give enough credit or thanks to, or that you never thought to thank, who would that be?” The smooth, two-hour dinner itinerary was a success as it built community among the mentor group, with much praise from participants and Chris. We planned a ukulele lesson workshop since music-evoked nostalgia is positively associated with psychological benefits that act as a buffer against adversity (Sedikides, 2021).

Our Reflective Movie Night had 19 students attend with 100 percent participation in the reflective question we utilized for our research. The responses became a key aspect of our research as it was campus data. We also donated 15 games during the college’s Game Night. It was a lively evening, and the college president even participated. Students continue to connect and play with these games weekly, and many student groups use the games to build stronger team connections. Nine students attended the Therapeutic Energy Workshop, five attended the Resiliency Skills Workshop, and we acquired 25 resiliency workbooks for future use. Five students benefited from the Mindfulness Workshop, where all participants received mindfulness pouches. Fourteen mentors participated in the Gratitude and Pasta Meal, which increased community, comfortability, collaboration, and vulnerability. These wellreceived workshops use Nostalgia as Play to bring people to the present moment. Students built connections with nostalgia and play’s powerful, vulnerable effect on human connections, comfortability, and resiliency. The events’ successes were evident in increased participation. There was a 20% increase in participation from the Movie Night to the Game Night. Likewise, participation more than doubled from our Mindfulness Workshop to the Therapeutic Energy Workshop. Given similar timing and advertisements, the power of word-of-mouth praise for well-run helpful events and a decrease in stigma appeared to contribute to community

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outreach. With support from Bridget’s professional connections, Kids Club Ukulele donated five ukuleles, and Blue Star Connection donated ten ukuleles. An inspired faculty member donated one ukulele. Finally, six ukuleles were purchased through the Mellon-PTK HIA Grant, accumulating a total of 22. These ukuleles will be donated to Blair Elementary School to continue the mental health benefits of music therapy for at-risk students. Mental health resources obtained from the Youth Mental Health Summit were available at every event. Through our 11 events based on Nostalgia as Play, mental health became a buzzing topic. Our chapter was able to spread continued awareness to student groups, NMC faculty, and our community. Our chapter organized two additional future workshops with outside organizations on top of our continuing events. Jen Strauss is conducting a StoryPlay Workshop for NMC students to explore improv, play, and impromptu storytelling, allowing students to use stories to connect, communicate, and achieve their goals. Lori Fithian will also host a Drummunity Workshop to lead students in a drum circle, promoting stress release, personal empowerment, community-building, and connection. Our chapter has become acutely aware of the stigma surrounding mental health and the weight it holds on individuals. Our research demonstrates the impact Nostalgia as Play has on counteracting adverse mental health effects, building resilience, and a sense of social connectedness in our community. As our leadership strengthened through hosting events and connecting with community professionals, we have become mental health advocates. Our critical thinking skills were sharpened by sifting through extensive resources. Our research has allowed us to educate and supply resources that will extend the benefit. Our chapter reflects on this relatively simple alleviation of such a complex issue. Why not continue? As we examine outcomes, hosting nostalgic events involving play and social connection positively impacts mental well-being.

Resources Dob bins, S., Hubbard, E., Flentje, A., DawsonRose, C., & Leutwyler, H. (2020). Play provides social connection for older adults with serious mental illness: A grounded theory analysis of a 10-week exergame intervention. Aging & Mental Health, 24(4), 596–603. https://doi.org /10.1080/13607863.2018.1544218 This qualitative study was executed to gain insight into older adults’ psychosocial well-being with serious mental illness when engaging in group exergame play. They found that play, playfulness, and social connection are important parts of this intervention to enable health among these adults. Our chapter focused on promoting play and playfulness to facilitate social connections to benefit the health of our community. Giffo rd, J. S. (2020). The resiliency skills training workbook: 10-minute exercises to improve your health and happiness. Well Student. This workbook offered resiliency-building activities that have been proven to have a great impact with small-time investment. Completing these exercises has been shown to significantly reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression, improve health, strengthen relationships, and help individuals cope with challenges. We were captivated by the amount of self-help and happiness generated in this four-week workbook. Juhl, J., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Xiong, X., & Zhou, X. (2021). Nostalgia promotes help seeking by fostering social connectedness. Emotion, 21(3), 631–643. https://doi. org/10.1037/emo0000720 This work showcased nostalgia as a resource that helps reduce the harmful psychological effects of loneliness. Looking to the past for confidence and motivation promotes help-seeking behaviors. We understand that nostalgia is an emotional experience that unifies us, not only with individuals around us but with ourselves. Reid , C. A., Green, J. D., Short, S. D., Willis, K. D., Moloney, J. M., Collison, E. A., Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., & Gramling, S. (2021). The past as a resource for the bereaved: nostalgia

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predicts declines in distress. Cognition and Emotion, 35(2), 256-268. https://doi.org/10.1 080/02699931.2020.1825339 This study explored how nostalgia can relieve despair in undergraduate students. Using nostalgia as a coping resource will lead to internally harnessing the past to endure change. We were inspired to learn that falling back on our happy memories can create hope for the future.

reorganization and activates various areas of the brain, resulting in dopamine secretion and stress reduction. We understand that music therapy can ease anxiety, support social resilience, and preserve happiness for college students.

Sch embra, C. (2020). Gratitude and pasta: The secret sauce for human connection.

Zho u, X., Sedikides, C., Mo, T., Li, W., Hong, E. K., & Wildschut, T. (2022). The restorative power of nostalgia: Thwarting loneliness by raising happiness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 13(4), 803–815. https:// doi.org/10.1177/19485506211041830

This book conveyed how the author used dinners to nurture gratitude, empathy, and human connection in his life and the lives of thousands of others. This book taught how to create and structure personal dining events so guests will have an experience that will bring them closer together. We were fascinated by how strategically planned these meals were, allowing the guests to express their gratitude and build community.

This study tested the relationship between loneliness, nostalgia, and happiness among isolated individuals during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors found that loneliness will conduce to higher nostalgia, which is associated with greater happiness. We were enlightened that nostalgia elevated happiness, deterring a downward spiral of declining mental health.

Sedi kides, C., Leunissen, J., & Wildschut, T. (2022). The psychological benefits of music-evoked nostalgia. Psychology of Music, 50(6), 2044–2062. https://doi. org/10.1177/03057356211064641 The intersection of music and nostalgia was studied. Music-evoked nostalgia is positively associated with psychological benefits in the social, self-oriented, and existential domains. It was intriguing to learn that music-evoked nostalgia indicates these benefits act as a buffer against adversity, conferring that music is a prevalent and impactful source of nostalgia. Zha ng, M., Ding, Y., Zhang, J., Jiang, X., Xu, N., Zhang, L., & Yu, W. (2022). Effect of group impromptu music therapy on emotional regulation and depressive symptoms of college students: A randomized controlled study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 1–10. https://doi-org.ezp.idm.oclc.org/10.3389/ fpsyg.2022.851526 This study explored how group impromptu music therapy has an essential role in enhancing the emotional regulation of college students. Impromptu music induces frontotemporal nerve

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Tech-Play vs. Nature: How Children Can Play for a Better Future Alpha Psi Eta Chapter Parkland College Champaign, Illinois

Theme Economics of Play

Abstract We examined the Economics of Play, focusing on the costs and benefits of using technology for play (tech-play) and how such use might transform child development. Technology has become pervasive in everyday life for citizens in developed countries. Due to this distant reach, screens have become an adjunct in childcare. Children are learning to browse the internet at ages when, instead, a few decades ago they would have been outside playing. This idea sparked a discussion among the chapter that led to our research question, What are the costs and benefits of using technology in play during the development of children ages 0 to 8? After discussing how to conduct our research, we gathered 24 scholarly resources that examined the effects technology has on physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development. Using what we learned regarding pros and cons of tech-play during cognitive and behavioral development, we compiled a Resource Guide including eight nontech and two tech-related activities that promote child development and provided it to 10 childcare facilities around our community, including the Parkland College Child Development Center. These facilities can then distribute the guide to parents who can then engage their children in mindfulness and education.

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Objectives After brainstorming about the different themes, we selected Theme 2, Economics of Play. One of our officers has a toddler, giving us a firsthand perspective of how today’s children play and how extensive tech-play has become during early childhood. Using the broad topic of tech-play as our jumping-off point, we decided to let the research dictate our direction. Eventually, we were led to the psychological and physical costs and benefits of increased tech-play during youth. Through weekly officer meetings and biweekly chapter meetings, both in person and online, we set the following research objectives: • formulate relevant research question

• identify subtopics for each committee member to investigate • collect multiple articles per subtopic • seek multiple perspectives

Due to our initial focus being on virtual reality (VR) and its potential applications to child development, we planned to set up a meeting with the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign Virtual Reality Lab to discuss any developments they have made in the subject. After we changed direction, that meeting did not occur. Instead, we met with Parkland College Child Development Center staff to discuss their utilization of technology in their childcare setting. The objective of the meeting was to determine what resources they believe might be useful to engage children in mindfulness activities. After that meeting, we decided to develop a Resource Guide that, backed by our research, encourages screenless mindfulness teaching. We wanted to include resources to help caregivers co-engage in enriching screen time with the child based on the research showing the potential benefits of techplay. We sought resources to meet these criteria: • engage the child in educational activities or mindfulness and emotional regulation • facilitate the processing of common fears/ anxieties • be accessible for children with limited technology availability/skills • be affordable or free

• be age-appropriate for the target audience

Our Resource Guide included a brief overview of who we are as a PTK chapter, the goal of our HIA project, and the rationale behind the guide, touching on our research. Due to our research showing that overexposure to screens can hinder development, we wanted the guide to focus on nature-based or screenless activities that could be done with a caregiver. With the societal prevalence of screens, we were compelled to include some activities that allow screen time for the child with the intent of enrichment and education. The facilities to which we would send our guide were selected by meeting these criteria: • appropriate age-range for the activities • provide skilled, caring childcare to the community • provide specialty services

Academic Investigation Our research committee started with three chapter officers, supported by an alumni officer with prior HIA experience. Given our lack of familiarity with participating in HIA, our advisor was patient and took the time to get us on a path to complete our project, using her experience with other teams and prior service on the Honors Program Committee. After selecting our theme and subsequent focus, we developed the following research question: “How does the use of technology in play (techplay) affect the physical and psychological development of children with special needs?” We determined a potential link between our research and that of a past HIA project that involved virtual reality (VR), so we shifted our focus to, “How does the use of VR affect the physical and psychological development of children with special needs?” After re-evaluating the number of resources available regarding this narrow topic, we broadened our view, finally asking instead, “What are the developmental, primarily psychological and physical, costs and benefits of using technology in play for children ages 0 to 8?” We selected this age group to include critical times in child development, and we defined tech-play as the use of electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and VR headsets.

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After developing our question, we identified several research focus areas: • common forms of tech-play for this age group • impact of outdoor/nature play vs. screen time/indoor play • impact of tech-play on achieving developmental benchmarks • effect of tech-play on psychosocial development • accessibility of tech-play

• developmental costs and benefits of tech-play In preparation, research committee members met with Parkland’s research librarian who taught us how to conduct scholarly research and vet our sources. We used this advice to revise and continue researching our topic, sharing our findings in Google Drive.

Conclusions We explored how tech-play affects children’s physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development and its implications in supplemental behavior therapy for children with disorders. We discovered positive and negative effects of tech-play on child development. Tech-play that is age-appropriate and co-engaged with a caregiver can have cognitive and psychosocial development benefits, as well as applications in therapies such as in special needs education for children with autism spectrum disorder (Huang et al, 2022) or children with behavioral disorders (Alsem et al, 2021). However, childhood use of technology can also be detrimental by contributing to an addictive attachment, leading to future behavioral deficits (Coyne et al, 2021), and being linked to childhood obesity (Schwarzfischer et al, 2020). In contrast, an overall reduction in tech-play with an increase in physical play can improve physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development (Kuzik et al, 2020). With technology becoming a necessity more than a luxury, it also branches into formal education, creating a financial barrier for children of low-income households. Thirty-five percent of households with school-age children and an

annual family income of less than $30,000 lack high-speed internet at home to support online learning, causing educational development to suffer (Mitchell, 2020). With money being a barrier, these children have fewer opportunities to experience tech-play compared to children in high-income households. Having more access to positive tech-play, such as video chatting with teachers and classmates, can bridge the gap, as interpersonal interaction is crucial to development. When overused or unsupervised, tech-play can lead to childhood obesity, lower psychomotor development, and emotional imbalances. Research shows the use of tech-play has benefits but needs to be used by caregivers with intent and in moderation without losing sight of the benefits of physical play. When provided in a supervised manner with enrichment at the core of its intentions, tech-play can provide cognitive, physical, and psychosocial development benefits.

Action After we met with Parkland’s Child Development Center, we utilized techniques that they employ and built upon those, creating a three-page Resource Guide that was distributed digitally to 10 local facilities: Crisis Nursery, Courage Connection (domestic violence shelter), Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, Parkland Child Development Center, First United Methodist Child Care Center, La Petite Academy, Devonshire Kindercare, Little Legends Learning Center, and Happi Time Day Care. These facilities provide childcare services to children in our target age group, some with special needs or in crisis, throughout the greater ChampaignUrbana area. Hopefully, the guide will engage parents and children in both positive physical activities and enriching screen time. Our goal in providing both non-technology- and technology-based activities comes from our research into the costs and benefits of techplay. We provided a total of 10 resources. Eight resources were non-tech and two were tech-based activities. Included were breathing techniques to help children ground themselves and regulate emotions, “nature breaks” encouraging going outside and enjoying nature with the intent of building a grounding technique, and a link to a free learning app that builds reading, writing, social, and emotional skills. Along with the list, we summarized our research.

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Impact Our committee included one parent of a two-yearold and two aspiring nurses, so the information gained from this project is something we can utilize in our careers and as leaders, teachers, and role models for children. As future and current parents, this research can help guide our child raising and teaching by mediating how our children use technology. Through active co-engagement primarily in physical play while also using the advantages that moderated, enriching tech-play can offer, we can hopefully bring about a nourishing play environment to the children whose lives we will come to influence. By distributing our Resource Guide to 10 childcare facilities throughout the Champaign-Urbana area, we have the potential to help hundreds of children develop excellent coping techniques. Our collaboration with Parkland’s Child Development Center inspired us to compile the resources for the guide by combining our academic research with real-world experience and applications. By initiating correspondence with the 10 recipient facilities, we are building collaborations that can continue. We hope to be able to engage with them again to further our exploration of the Art and Science of Play during the 2023 school year.

Resources Coy ne, S. M., Shawcroft, J., Gale, M., Gentile, D. A., Etherington, J. T., Holmgren, H., & Stockdale, L. (2021). Tantrums, toddlers and technology: Temperament, media emotion regulation, and problematic media use in early childhood. Computers in Human Behavior, 120, 106762. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. chb.2021.106762 In Colorado, 269 infants with an average age of 29.58 months were examined to determine the effect that media intake has on child temperament. Parents completed questionnaires that rated the child’s “surgency/extroversion, negative affect, and effortful control,” and their media habits, such as the child’s reliance on technology and how often it was used as an emotional pacifier. Problematic media use was defined as “excessive media use that interferes

with the child’s functioning.” Data showed that problematic media use and time spent using media were positively correlated with negative affect and negatively correlated with effortful intrinsic emotional control. The study posits that overindulging children in media use to the point of becoming problematic results in a lack of emotional control skills that are crucial for a developing child. Gol dschmidt, K. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic: Technology use to support the wellbeing of children. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 53, 88–90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. pedn.2020.04.013 Near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, children were pulled from schools, playgrounds, and social events to isolate at home with just their caregivers to provide stimulation and enrichment. Society’s use of technology became a crutch to keep individuals afloat in many ways. For children, when the activity was co-engaged with a caregiver, screens provided a source of spiritual, social, educational, and even physical engagement needed to keep healthy. Hill, D., Ameenuddin, N., Reid Chassiakos, Y. L., Cross, C., Hutchinson, J., Levine, A., Boyd, R., Mendelson, R., Moreno, M., & Swanson, W. S. (2016). Media and young minds. Pediatrics, 138(5). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2591 The American Academy of Pediatrics has studied the effects of technology on children in increasingly technology-based households. Between ages zero and five, children undergo a period of cognitive development that is critical to their future. The Academy’s official recommendations are to avoid exposing children to digital media before 24 months and to keep screen time to an hour or less between ages two and five. Studies show that for every additional hour of media intake, child BMI increases, indicating a correlation between tech-play and childhood obesity. Hosokawa, R., & Katsura, T. (2018). Association between mobile technology use and child adjustment in early elementary school age. PLOS ONE, 13(7), e0208844. https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pone.0199959

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For this study, 1,642 6-year-old children in Japan were categorized as regular users (60+ minutes/ day) or non-regular users (< 60 minutes/day) based on time spent using technology. Among regular users, 10.4 percent showed conduct problems (5.6 percent of nonregular users), 16.5 percent had hyperactivity/inattention disorders (9.8 percent of non-regular users), 17.4 percent had emotional regulation issues (12.2 percent of non-regular users), and 11.3 percent had problems with peers (8.1 percent of non-regular users). The data shows a correlation between increased exposure to technology and increased incidence of behavioral disorders. Kuzi k, N., Naylor, P. J., Spence, J. C., & Carson, V. (2020). Movement behaviours and physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development in preschool-aged children: Cross-sectional associations using compositional analyses. PLOS ONE, 15(8), e0237945. https://doi. org/10.1371/journal.pone.0237945 In Canada, 95 children ages 3 to 5 were recruited to wear accelerometers that tracked physical movement continuously throughout the study to examine the effect of physical activity habits on physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development. The data showed that moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity was positively correlated with physical (object, locomotor, total motor) skills, lower BMI, and socioemotional (sociability) development. The study also found that more time spent in light intensity physical activity was positively correlated with higher vocabulary skills. The specific activities in which the children were involved were not recorded, so it is unknown how they may have affected the scores, but the data shows a relationship between higher movement levels and increased physical development, while low-intensity physical activity increases a child’s vocabulary skills. Mad igan, S., Browne, D., Racine, N., Mori, C., & Tough, S. (2019). Association between screen time and children’s performance on a developmental screening test. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(3), 244. https://doi. org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5056 A study involving 2,441 mothers and their children investigated the cognitive, behavioral, and physical development of the children at 24, 36, and 60 months related to the amount of

time spent in front of screens. The result analysis showed a statistically significant correlation between higher weekly screen time and lower developmental test results. This suggests that the more time a child spends in front of a screen during these developmental ages, the more likely they are to show lower overall development in critical performance areas. Sch warzfischer, P., Gruszfeld, D., Socha, P., Luque, V., Closa-Monasterolo, R., Rousseaux, D., Moretti, M., ReDionigi, A., Verduci, E., Koletzko, B., & Grote, V. (2020). Effects of screen time and playing outside on anthropometric measures in preschool aged children. PLOS ONE, 15(3), e0229708. https:// doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0229708 Across Europe, 526 children involved in the European Childhood Obesity Project were assessed via questionnaire annually from ages 3 to 6 regarding their time spent playing outside and screen time, to examine the relationship between the two activities and the child’s anthropomorphic measures. Data showed a positive correlation between increased average screen time and higher BMI while increasing time spent playing outside by a comparable amount reduced the risk of a high BMI. Zhao , J., Zhang, X., Lu, Y., Wu, X., Zhou, F., Yang, S., Wang, L., Wu, X., & Fei, F. (2022). Virtual reality technology enhances the cognitive and social communication of children with autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Public Health, 10, 1029392. https://doi. org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1029392 The study included 44 children ages 3 to 6 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They were divided into two groups: 22 were in an experimental group that conducted ASD-focused rehabilitation therapies using VR technology; the other 22 were in a control group receiving currently conventional ASD therapies. Cognition in the subjects was evaluated prior to the experiment and after three months of therapy. The experimental group showed a statistically significant increase in cognition, imitation, and social interaction scores compared to the control group, suggesting that using virtual reality as an adjunct in ASD rehabilitation provides potentially beneficial effects for these children.

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The Impact of Gaming and Virtual Reality in Nursing Homes Iota Mu Chapter Pearl River Community College Poplarville, Missiisippi

Theme Systems of Play

Abstract For our Honors in Action Project (HIA), we examined the lack of access to play for nursing home residents. We chose to look at play in old age since it is often overlooked. Our research question, “How does access to play, through travel and activity, impact the physical and mental well-being of elders?” guided us in deciding that we would research systems of play and look at things such as the lack of mobility in the older population, the experience of nursing home residents, access to travel, and the elderly and their experience with virtual reality. Through our research, we discovered that being active is important throughout old age to keep individuals mentally and physically healthy and improve the quality of life. Our research guided our project by influencing our decision to bring virtual reality and gaming to local nursing homes. After receiving the HIA grant through PTK and the Mellon Foundation, Iota Mu was able to purchase two virtual reality (VR) headsets that were used to bring play to the elderly. Residents at two local nursing homes had the opportunity to “travel” around the world, ride roller coasters, go on nature walks and explore the underwater world, all through VR. They also competed in races through Mario Kart on a Nintendo Switch. Our project positively impacted both nursing homes. Residents expressed their joy in joining a race with their peers and were able to relive memories of time spent traveling the world with the U.S. Navy. Our impact was far-reaching as we were featured in the local news where we got to talk about our project and the benefits of virtual reality for those in isolated settings like nursing homes. We have also had other nursing homes express interest in us providing similar experience.

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Objectives

Conclusions

As a HIA team composed of five members, our research objectives were as follows: Initially identify 10 articles related to the accessibility of play in elderly communities. From our initial research, we decided to identify articles related to the lack of mobility for the elderly population, the benefits of travel, the experience of nursing home residents, and the psychological and social impacts of gaming and virtual reality. Our team planned to meet weekly to summarize each article found and discuss research conclusions. We planned to have research complete by the end of September 2022.

Throughout our research, we found that virtual reality (VR) and other gaming systems are one avenue in which we can bring play to older individuals that no longer have access to forms of play they were once able to enjoy in their youth. One study found that the older population had success with the Wii gaming system (Glännfjord et al., 2016). This shows that, although gaming systems are typically thought to be enjoyed by the younger generations, those in the older populations also enjoy playing them. Because being active is an important part of health, the new technology available with VR allows users to move around, if able, but also engage in experiences previously thought impossible like touring another country without leaving home. Tourism and travel can help the older generation by allowing them to maintain a healthy mind and body (Qiao et al., 2022).

Our action objectives were to: • locate an elderly population with limited access to play • utilize technology and virtual reality to allow elderly individuals to play • visit at least two communities to complete the service project • experience the impact of virtual reality and gaming activities in our local community Our objective was to complete the project by November 2022. Our collaboration objectives were to work with the activity directors at two of our local nursing homes to see what virtual and gaming activities would be most beneficial to their residents. We also planned to meet weekly with the HIA team to set up VR headsets and choose games to use at each nursing home.

Academic Investigation The Honors in Action team decided to conduct research based on our research question, How does access to play, through travel and activity, impact the physical and mental well-being of elders? Through our research, we found that play is just as important in the older population as it is in the younger population (Burr et al., 2019). Being active not only helps with the physical health of older people, it also helps with mental health. There are several ways that the elderly can engage in play including, but not limited to, reading, walking, traveling, and playing games.

For those in isolated settings like nursing homes, it isn’t always easy or possible to travel. Research consistently points to feelings of loneliness and depression within long-term care facilities like nursing homes. This loneliness comes from a lack of social integration and less frequent interactions with others leading to a lower quality of life. (Trybusinska et al., 2019). Access to VR technology allows users to engage in controlled play which could be a tool to increase the quality of life for those experiencing frailty (MuguetaAguinaga & Garcia-Zapirain, 2017). Yung-Chin and Chun-Chieh (2021) show that virtual reality is one avenue for the elderly population to access play and increase their alertness and creativity. This access is an important part of mental and physical health. Not only can VR help with being more active, Corriveau Lecavalier et al. (2018) found that it can also be used to train episodic memory in the elderly population. Overall, we found that play isn’t just for the young, it’s for everyone. It can be especially beneficial as we age. VR technology allows the older generations, including those in more isolated settings, to gain access to avenues of play that will ultimately help them to remain active, increasing not only mental and physical health, but overall quality of life.

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Due to mobility, residents were able to utilize the headsets while sitting down. This made play more accessible to the residents. While we had more success at one nursing home compared to the other, both homes had residents who enjoyed the experience and would do it again. However, we did notice a vast difference in participation and interest between nursing homes. One facility was based out of a house and did not have structured activity time as a part of their normal routine. The other facility had a dedicated activity director and exposure to daily games and activities. The participants at the latter facility were more inclined to participate.

Impact

Figure 1

Action Since our research indicated that gaming virtual reality could benefit the elderly population, the HIA team decided that we would bring those forms of activity to local nursing homes. In September, we reached out to three nursing homes. After receiving a response from two, we set up a meeting with directors from both homes. After meeting with them, the HIA team and our PTK advisors better understood the COVID regulations and rules that we would need to follow during our time at each home. In between meeting with the nursing home directors and completing our project, we applied for the Mellon Foundation grant and were able to purchase two VR headsets. We also sent out a pre-project survey to determine what the residents were interested in and any precautions that needed to be taken. When we went to the nursing homes, nursing home residents were able to play Mario Kart on a Nintendo Switch. On the VR headsets they were able to ride a roller coaster, go on a nature walk to look at deer and other wildlife, and swim underwater (Figure 1).

At the conclusion of our HIA project, we sent out post-project surveys. Although only one nursing home returned the survey, we could see the positive impact of our project through the surveys we received. Through our survey, we found that three out of nine residents enjoyed the VR while two out of nine did not enjoy the VR and four out of nine were neutral. Specifically, two out of nine enjoyed traveling on the VR. With the Nintendo Switch, six out of nine liked the Nintendo set with five out of nine specifically stated enjoying Mario Kart. Along with the survey data (Figure 2), we were informed by the activity director that she was impressed at the participation and two of the residents who participated the most do not typically participate in game activities. One of the residents who went on a nature hike discussed his pleasure that he was able to “almost reach out and touch the deer” during his walk - something he hasn’t been able to do for a while since he can no longer hunt. Our project had an impact within the wider community due to a local news station reporting on what we did. This allowed over 3,000 people to see the possibility of using VR technology for play in isolated settings like nursing homes. Since the completion of our project, we have received interest from other nursing homes to bring our gaming experience to their community. Our project allowed the chapter members who participated to grow as scholars and leaders by giving them an opportunity to collaborate with the nursing homes and bridge the technology gap within the nursing home community.

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Figure 1 The HIA team was able to practice finding and citing academic sources, which is integral to academic success. They were able to practice arguing their ideas with evidence and successfully plan and implement this project. They also gained leadership skills by being in a setting that allowed them to listen to others and work through disagreements. Overall, this HIA project addressed our research question by showing that when given access to play and travel via the Nintendo Switch and the VR Headset, nursing home residents were able to express joy and gain an experience they would not have had otherwise, showing the potential for increasing quality of life along with physical and mental health.

This article was relevant to our HIA project because it demonstrates that the word play is not only referred to with children but can be referred to with adults as well. This article also influenced our project by providing key details on interviews conducted with numerous adults on the definition of play, “a way to stay healthy, active, and mentally sharp.”

Resources

This article discussed a study that tested if virtual reality could measure memory. It discussed episodic memory and how virtual reality can train elders’ brains to remember recent or past experiences. This article is relevant to systems of play because it discusses the positive relationship between virtual reality and memory in elderly showing that a form of play has positive results on one’s mental health.

Burr , B., Atkins, L., Bertram, A. G., Sears, K., & McGinnis, A. N. (2019). “If you stop playing you get old”: Investigating reflections of play in older adults. Educational Gerontology, 45(5), 353–364. https://doi.org/10.1080/03601277.2 019.1627058

Corr iveau Lecavalier, N., Ouellet, É., Boller, B., & Belleville, S. (2018). Use of immersive virtual reality to assess episodic memory: A validation study in older adults. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 30(3), 462–480. https://doi.org/ 10.1080/09602011.2018.1477684

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Ferr ah, N., Murphy, B., Ibrahim, J. E., Bugeja, L. C., Winbolt, M., Logiudice, D., Ranson, D. L. (2015). Resident-to-resident physical aggression leading to injury in nursing homes: A systematic review. Age & Ageing, 44(3), 356–364. https://eds.p.ebscohost.com/eds/ pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=17&sid=e953c162222e-4754-92fd-9597649a6832%40redis This article discussed the prevalent mistreatment of residents in nursing homes by their peers. It was relevant to our project because it discusses the issues within nursing homes and why residents might not feel comfortable participating in different activities. Glän nfjord, F., Hemmingsson, H., & Larsson Ranada, Å. (2016). Elderly people’s perceptions of using Wii Sports Bowling: A qualitative study. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy, 24(5), 329–338. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2016.126 7259 Wii, and other interactive and easy-to-use game consoles, were perceived positively by the elderly for easy-to-use and close comparisons to real interactions. It promoted immersion within the atmosphere of play and fun and shines a light on new technology for the older generation. It sheds a positive new outlook on games and psychological benefits in relation to play and the older population. Mug ueta-Aguinaga, I., & Garcia-Zapirain, B. (2017). Is technology present in frailty? Technology a back-up tool for dealing with frailty in the elderly: A systematic review. Aging and Disease, 8(2), 2005. https://doi. org/10.14336/ad.2016.0901 Frailty is potentially reversible due to specific interventions such as rehabilitation and exercise. With the increase of health problems in the elderly, there needs to be a new option that is better for their quality of life. An option might be returning to the same routine as childhood, known as controlled play through virtual reality. In an aging society, it is necessary to establish new alternatives that may somehow try to meet the needs of elderly persons while increasing their perceived quality of life.

Qiao , G., Ding, L., Xiang, K., Prideaux, B., & Xu, J. (2022). Understanding the value of tourism to seniors’ health and positive aging. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1476. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031476 This article discussed a study that was done to understand the effect that tourism has on the aging of elders. The study proved the importance of tourism and how it can positively impact aging citizens by allowing them to gain happiness through experiences. However, it also discussed how elders can be limited because of mobility. Tryb usinska, D., & Saracen, A. (2019). Loneliness in the context of quality of life of nursing home residents. Open Medicine, 14(1), 354– 361. https://doi.org/10.1515/med-2019-0035 This article discussed a survey done on nursing home residents to look at the issue of loneliness in nursing homes. The survey found that 40 percent of residents struggle with loneliness and that experiencing loneliness is related to lower quality of life. Loneliness was examined in terms of quality of nursing home, mobility, illness acceptance, and relations with family. This helped our HIA project by better understanding the isolated communities for elderly populations. Yun g-Chin, T., & Chun-Chieh, S. (2021). The impact of the virtual reality and augmented reality nostalgia system on the elderly behavior model. International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 13(3), 100–119. https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/ detail/ detail?vid=8&sid=eeb13f8b-5902-40f2-9be206648cdcdec%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZW RzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=147864110&db=bth Usage of the VR headset and the metaverse could positively impact the elderly based on interactivity and psychological response, prompting creativity, alertness, and fun. The conclusions of this study relate to our research by demonstrating that fun can be accessible in many ways, especially by the older generation, who may be out of touch.

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Power of Play Alpha Epsilon Pi Chapter Raritan Valley Community College, North Branch Campus Branchburg, New Jersey

Theme Architecture and Design of Play

Abstract Inspired by the 2022/2023 Honors Program Guide, Theme 4 directed our research. The environment of the internet has drastically changed how we play and this was the catalyst for our research question: “How does technology influence play in Glow Kids, and what impact does this have on their development?” Through our research, we learned that certain factors affected the activities people participate in; for example, technology, like iPads, specifically impacted the development of Generation Z/ Alpha, also known as “Glow Kids.” Our research revealed those generations rely heavily on technology and resort to it as a default to pass time over other, more engaging activities. What became clear was that the most significant influence on the art and science of play is the very thing that might threaten it the most – technology. In addition to our academic research, we conducted a casual survey of college students and found that they do not “play” or use only technology-based forms of play such as video games. Overall, the most significant discovery from our research is that there are costs and benefits of using technology as play. Since technology is omnipresent, we wanted to encourage healthy limits on screen time and offer alternative active play options. We decided to promote awareness through a poster campaign, displaying them around campus and in the local community. At the end of the semester, we hosted a DeStress-Play-Day to encourage using play to alleviate stress before finals. Additionally, we created play boxes containing items that encourage screen-free play, which we distributed to RVCC Children’s Campus and local food pantries. The project afforded us the opportunity to encourage limited screen time among our

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peers as well as children and parents in the local community.

Objectives Our research objectives were to: • examine 18-24 scholarly sources that provide diverse perspectives regarding technology play; • categorize research sources into the following revised groups: social development, technology, and play; • intentionally discuss and compare sources to form conclusions on different aspects of technology play that allow us to comprehend the scope of technology’s impact; • understand how technology impacts play and development of Glow Kids; and •

investigate patterns of play in RVCC Campus Community

We aimed to identify people who would support our efforts to have the greatest impact. Our chapter enlisted a diverse range of groups and organizations to collaborate with including teachers at RVCC Children’s Campus, two local food pantries, and chapter members. These collaborations were incredibly valuable in our “Power of Play” campaign which involved four actions: an initial survey of our students, a poster campaign, a DeStress-Play-Day, and a play box giveaway. The campaign, stemming from our research conclusions, was designed to bring awareness of the benefits of active play to children, young adults, and parents in the community. We also set out to measure the current play activities of our peers. Lastly, we wanted to provide specific suggestions and play materials to encourage active play among all groups of Glow Kids.

Academic Investigation Our academic research began with exploring the meaning behind play and how it impacts different facets of society (i.e., economics, family, education). Initially, we focused on socioeconomic factors affecting access to play, but researchers

consistently found the same results: those with resources had more options for play. One article highlighted access to technology, inspiring us to revise our topic to address technology’s impact on play, specifically in Generation Z/Alpha (aka Glow Kids). This correlates with Honors Study Topic 4, Architecture and Design of Play, because the virtual environment shapes these generations’ play. Based on our exploration, we arrived at our final research question: “How does technology influence play in Glow Kids, and what impact does this have on their development?” This revision and the analysis of our findings helped us split our research into three main categories: technology, social development, and play.

Conclusions Our research conclusions were: • Children raised with more digital play and reliance on technology as a substitute for physical play were more likely to struggle with development. • Technology is omnipresent, and Generation Z/Alpha has grown up to become dependent on it for play, specifically mobile devices. • Near mandatory use of technology in educational settings can be beneficial, but also poses a dire need for off-screen time at home and in any non-school environment. • There are several techniques/games/ activities that researchers propose to balance screen time and active play. • Socioeconomic status does influence access to materials for active play. These conclusions helped us create our actions, which were a campus poster campaign, children’s activity boxes, and DeStressPlay-Day.

Action The Honors Study Topic inspired us to address how the digital environment impacts play and to encourage individuals to balance digital play and active play. Because Glow Kids are a broad age group, we wanted to promote play among both generations. Starting with toddlers and elementary-aged children, we determined the

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boxes to low-income families in the two counties the college serves. We also wanted to promote awareness across our campus and in the community for older Glow Kids (Generation Z). Initially, we surveyed RVCC students to learn how they play and found that they do not consider their leisure activities to be play or only use technology-based forms of play. Therefore, we created a 5-poster educational campaign to teach about the physical and mental health benefits of play and screen-free play alternatives. We designed the posters to be visually stimulating and engage people walking past. Posters also contained QR-Codes that linked to additional information and sources.

Figure 1 best way to encourage screen-free play would be through creating play boxes to help facilitate engaging, active play. We collaborated with teachers at RVCC Children’s Campus to select the best toys for each age group (zero to two years, three to five years, and six to eight years). Working with certified childcare professionals allowed us to choose enriching items. We communicated with them regularly while creating and assembling the boxes, to assure the contents were relevant and engaging. Working with PTK members, we created three types of play boxes with age-appropriate toys and activities, hosting two box-building sessions. Examples of items were finger-puppets, crinkle books, sensory craft supplies, pop tubes, and other stimulating play resources. Each box included an informational packet for parents with instructions on how to best use the items and research on how active play benefits development. Coordinating with three different organizations to deliver the boxes, officers communicated through email and phone regarding box totals, drop off policies, locations, and other logistical details. We provided these boxes to students at RVCC Children’s Campus and worked with local food pantries to distribute

We collaborated with PTK members to use their own community networks to hang posters at local libraries and retailers, impacting the broader community, and posted them around campus to reach our peers. The last action we hosted was a DeStress-Play-Day, setting up play centers that included coloring, crafts, yoga, therapy dogs, and a food station. All of these encouraged active play to help destress students before finals week. For this event we collaborated with a local organization that provides access to therapy dogs. We contacted multiple dog owners, inviting them to bring their dogs in to play with students. We also worked with two RVCC students who led yoga sessions for the event. By collaborating with multiple outlets, we expanded our reach in promoting screen-free play and educating community members about the power of play.

Impact We made and handed out 160 play boxes (figure 1) which contained materials and information about the benefits of play. Fifteen volunteers attended our events to assemble these boxes, leading to over 40 hours spent developing and creating them. A surprising outcome for building the boxes occurred with volunteers reporting it “felt like we were playing” and there was “a nostalgia to building these boxes, reminding me about how fun play can be.” Through these boxes, we gave youth opportunities to engage in play without technology. The boxes had materials that develop motor skills and increase cognitive growth, as well as encouraging social

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abilities. We received many “thank yous” for our donation, including a message from one of the food pantries, “We gave out all the activity boxes at the Food Pantry on Sunday. They were a special surprise, and it is so lovely that you put these kits together.” Another message came from one of the parents receiving the boxes, “My kids were excited to have a surprise box to open. Great ideas, they stayed engaged! They loved the pop tubes, who knew something so simple could be so entertaining. Thank you for the recipe for playdough!” We are happy that our efforts were able to positively impact children in our local area. Seventy-one students participated in our survey of how they play. This made participants more aware that play could be something other than sports and video games. For our poster campaign, informing people of the power of play, we printed 50 posters and hung them around the campus and community (figure 2). Twentyfive posters were displayed on our campus and 25 in the community. All posters contained a link that led to additional research; the posters that

were placed on campus contained a QR code that tracked how many people followed the link. A total of 70 participants scanned that QR code. One member stated that “play encompasses more than just video games or physical sports; it is much more than the traditional idea, and it changed my perspective.” PTK members gained valuable leadership skills by utilizing their social networks to expand our campaign. They identified community partners, asked permission to hang posters, and coordinated delivery of posters, all giving leadership practice to members. The last action was the DeStress-Play-Day, which was attended by 53 individuals. One student stated that “This was a great way to distract from the semester and take a break.” Another student said, “The dogs are the best! I love playing with them.” Based on observation, students who attended were able to laugh, play, and de-stress throughout the event.

Resources Ahn , J. (2022). Exploring the negative and gap-widening effects of edtech on young children’s learning achievement: Evidence from a longitudinal dataset of children in American k–3 classrooms. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(5430), 1-19. https://doi. org/10.3390/ijerph19095430 This study explored the positive and negative implications of Educational Technology. It found that EdTech widens the achievement gap that exists between students from high- and lowincome families and can also be distracting and contribute to a “dumbing down” of curricula. Through synthesizing this information with other research, we connected this finding to our second, third, and fifth conclusions. We strived to counteract these potential negative effects by creating activity boxes for children and educating peers with our poster campaign. Duv all, M., Matranga, A., Foster, A., & Silverman, J. (2016). Mobile learning: Technology as mediator of personal and school experiences. International Journal of GameBased Learning, 6(1), 30-42. http://dx.doi. org/10.4018/IJGBL.2016010103

Figure 2

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This study investigated the benefits of technology, specifically mobile learning, on arts education. Researchers found that mobile technology helped students make connections between personal and school knowledge but needed to be designed intentionally and relate to prior realworld experiences. Reflecting on the findings of this article showed that technology is beneficial in educational settings but poses a need for offscreen time outside the classroom. This links to our third and fourth conclusions and initiated our idea to make a poster campaign advocating for purposeful screen time and more physical play. Falg oust, G., Winterlind, E., Moon, P., Parker, A., Zinzow, H., & Madathil, K. C. (2022). Applying the uses and gratifications theory to identify motivational factors behind young adult’s participation in viral social media challenges on TikTok. Human Factors in Healthcare, 2(100014), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. hfh.2022.100014 The article described how young adults use social media. Utilizing the theoretical framework of Uses and Gratification Theory, the authors found that young adults primarily use social media for entertainment needs and convenience. Secondarily, they found that some initiated use for social interaction and finding social support. Through this research, we gained an understanding of why young adults use social media and how this affects their interactions with others, connecting to conclusions one and two. This inspired our poster campaign to encourage less screen time and more active play. Guir guis, R. (2018). Should we let them play? Three key benefits of play to improve early childhood programs. International Journal of Education and Practice, 6(1), 43-49. https:// eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1209975 This meta-analysis addressed the increase in technology in early childhood education, which reduces or eliminates free play. The article specifically mentioned that literacy/language development may be negatively impacted by a lack of time for imaginative play. It helped us arrive at our first and fourth research conclusions, and influenced our choice to include a variety of

objects that promote imaginative free-play in our boxes, as well as books to help develop literacy skills. Willi ams, R. (2021). Concerns of socially interactive technologies’ influence on students: Digital immigrant teachers’ perspectives. Education, 141(3), 109. https:// eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1313901 This study investigated the issues associated with socially interactive mobile technologies in education. They found that children showed decreased communication, writing, and spelling skills; an increased need for instant gratification; a greater inclination toward distraction; and increased drama in the classroom. Reflecting on these findings, we linked them to our first and second conclusions about children’s increasing dependence on technology and the correlation to struggles with development. This article prompted our promotion of decreased technology use in our poster campaign and DeStress-Play-Day. Mile nkova, V., & Manov, B. (2020). The digitization of society and its challenges to child development. International Journal of Child Health & Human Development, 13(4), 407-414. https://www.proquest.com/ docview/2524993252 This qualitative study discussed the problems of becoming dependent on technology, especially for childhood development. The results of the research showed that parents are most influential in mitigating potential negative effects of digitization, especially in helping children develop their motor and cognitive skills without the use of technology. This research links us to our first, second, and third research conclusions. Thinking critically about how family dynamics relate to methods of play, and how we may positively impact families influenced our decision to put parent/child collaborative play items and methods in our boxes. Nwo kah, E., Hsu, H.-C., & Gulker, H. (2013). The use of play materials in early intervention: The dilemma of poverty. American Journal of Play, 5(2), 187-218. https://files.eric.ed.gov/ fulltext/EJ1003950.pdf

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This discussed how play is an essential component in early intervention for infants and toddlers, especially for low-income families with limited resources. Play materials were found to be essential in the success of families getting services from specialists and were used by nearly all of the families. This is linked to our fourth and fifth conclusions, where resources and various play techniques are essential for child development. This inspired us to create our own take home boxes of play materials, which were distributed at RVCC Children’s Campus and to low-income families at our local food banks. Rog ovic, D., Šalaj, S., & Puharic, Z. (2022). Relationship between screen-time and motor skills in preschool children. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 22(4), 976-980. DOI:10.7752/jpes.2022.04124 This article defined the term “glow kids” as the phenomenon where children spend excessive time in front of screens, which has been heavily associated with Generation Z/Alpha. The study examined the amount of time preschool-aged children spend in front of digital screens and its effect on cognitive and motor skill development. The results showed that preschool-aged children spent more time than recommended by the WHO in front of screens, connecting to conclusion two. Synthesizing these findings with other research about alternative play methods, we created play boxes to provide children with methods of active play. This would help them develop and play while not spending an abundance of time on devices, and further avoiding negative effects from excessive screen time.

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Operation Access! Helping First-Generation Students Connect with Physical, Academic, Mental, and Emotional Wellness Resources Alpha Omicron Chapter Tyler Junior College Tyler, Texas

Theme Systems of Play

Abstract Our chapter broadly reviewed The Art and Science of Play in the 2022/2023 Honors Program Guide and hosted Zoom and campus meetings to discuss how each theme related to member’s interests. Chapter interest pointed to Theme 3, Systems of Play with the overarching question, “In what ways do one’s role, identity, and access influence the experience of play.” An Honors in Action (HIA) research team was selected and trained on interdisciplinary academic research and source analysis. To get students involved, our team utilized Gamification, a system that uses play to make learning processes more engaging. Our HIA team applied gamification to our campus wide HIA project focused on providing students with all available tools needed to successfully complete their degree or credential and “win” the education game. Research showed a significant knowledge gap for minority and firstgeneration students regarding access to and understanding of the game rules for financial aid and how to succeed in college. Different roles, such as being a veteran, classifying as a minority, or being a first-generation college student affect what tools that person has in their inventory to guide them to success. We collaborated with over forty student success organizations from our campus and community willing to play together to capture the attention

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of first-generation students, guiding them to discover valuable resources. The “PTK Wellness Expo” made a game of finding information on emotional, physical, and academic wellness for over 700 students and faculty. Collaborators provided access to resources like internet access, mental health care, volunteer opportunities, academic success coaching, intramural sports, and financial aid assistance. Students were surveyed to gauge their awareness and utilization of campus services. Results from this event will become part of TJC’s SACS accreditation report and will help direct changes in campus services to better inform and assist first generation and under-represented minority students in the future.

Objectives Our team developed three measurable research objectives: • organize and strategically develop an HIA leadership team to oversee the academic research process, review academic sources with varying viewpoints, and organize the top eight sources into an annotated bibliography; • explore ways to share research electronically with the team and mentors; • review and agree upon final research conclusions and use those to determine a plan of action; and • draft a project timeline from research through reflection allowing us to gauge the progress of our research as a cornerstone of our overall project, with scheduled periodic reviews to address areas of concern and keep the project on track. Our research clearly pointed to the need for oncampus, face-to-face outreach, providing accurate and timely information directly to students. To get students to utilize TJC Timely Care, we had to train campus and community volunteers to be able to assist with direct phone log in and access while standing with the student. To reach students, we had to educate faculty about our event. Representatives spoke to the Faculty Senate, visited offices, and provided refreshments and professional development credit for faculty learning with their students through wellness fair activities.

Directed by our research conclusions, our team formulated the following Action and Collaboration Objectives: • provide intentional training to HIA team members on communication skills, survey preparation, logistics, campus services, Timely MD, and understanding of the current college mission and goals to prepare them to take leadership of the project; • have each service organization collaborating with us focus on the importance of service as a life-long endeavor; • identify and recruit at least 25 campus and community collaborators to donate incentives or activities to encourage student attendance and engagement in event activities, surveys, and programming; • seek out collaboration with media, administration, campus services, food services, and community providers; • explain the research behind planned activities and methods of communication so all collaborators value the informed decisions and planning behind events; • maintain regular communication to keep all collaborators focused on our common objectives; • utilize three or more popular gamification techniques at a campus-wide Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Academic Wellness event to reach first-generation and at-risk students who historically are unlikely to respond to electronic communications; • collaborate with campus and community student service providers to prepare information tables and be on-site to answer student questions; • provide prizes for students, faculty, administrators, and community members who successfully gather information from each provider; • partner with Institutional Effectiveness to author and distribute a 10-question survey to determine knowledge gained through the wellness event; • learn how and why to disaggregate data for internal data review; and • prepare and present a final project report to our administration.

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Academic Investigation The chapter reviewed each topic in the Honors Program Guide and identified current events or personal issues that correlated with each theme, helping members feel ownership toward the project. HIA research team members were selected and trained with TJC library research staff to conduct in-depth academic investigation. All active members were involved in the selection of Theme Three, “In what ways do one’s role, identity, and access influence the experience of play?” The team considered 24 peer-reviewed articles on student’s knowledge of, access to, and usage of campus and community student support services across the country and abroad. The TJC director of institutional research confirmed that millions of dollars annually pour into financial aid and student success initiatives, yet students are “falling through the cracks”, overwhelmed and unaware of lifelines all around them. We wanted to know which students seem most affected, and could gamification of this process help those students become more interested, informed, and connected to student success resources?

received a research synopsis that explained why we set up the Wellness fair with specific services and informed activities. Our project vice president coordinated timely communication and ensured that all collaborators and team members had a working copy of our project timeline and received regular updates. Our research pointed to informative intervention being the best course of action; direct engagement with the student body followed by a final presentation to our administration providing data gathered before and during the Wellness Fair to support our request for additional counseling and student support as well as increased internet access. Team members critically considered what students and our administration most needed to know, developing “talking points” that were communicated to all collaborators.

Conclusions Our research conclusions pointed to informative intervention being the best course of action to reach students. Online student success and mental health resources sources were underutilized; primarily because students were unaware of them or did not have access to reliable internet to use them. Signs, posters, and email were not effective; students were overwhelmed by such communication and largely ignored it. Administrators were much like students. Face-toface meetings were needed to get their attention and collaboration. Students needed intervention to pique interest and facilitate access to success services. Face-to-face outreach between students, faculty, and service providers would require collaboration with our administration to share our research findings and earn their support for planned events.

Action Following our research conclusions, the HIA team formulated six action and collaboration objectives and regularly reviewed progress to keep our efforts on track. All collaboration partners

Figure 1 On September 21, over 30 student-focused collaborators came together to help us host the campus-wide Physical, Financial, Academic and Emotional wellness fair (Figure 1) featuring displays by multiple student service providers

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and service organizations from our campus and community. Presenters were instructed to reach out to students instead of passively waiting to be questioned. Passage through the venue required completion of specific activities to promote a fun, game-like atmosphere. Attendees received free food coupons and other prizes participation in wellness events. The team collaborated with TJC’s media and marketing departments to share event information via social media and campuswide email messaging. The director of institutional effectiveness provided past student engagement data and helped create a 10-question exit survey to measure student learning. Officers insured new team members received proper training and information to become fully engaged in the project. Student leadership growth was exponential. Project team members stepped up into leadership positions in organizations across campus and some even changed their majors based on experiences they had working on this event.

Impact Over 700 students and faculty attended the Wellness Fair, including our college president and administrators (see attachments.) Feedback from the 30 campus and community student success and student service providers was overwhelmingly positive. Through the exit survey most reported tremendous engagement with students. One collaborator shared: “I didn’t know what to think about standing in front of my information or being asked to walk out to bring students to my table. However, I had meaningful conversations with so many more students who needed the information I brought.” Our quantitative outcomes aligned with our research conclusions; many first-generation and minority students reported being unaware of significant student success services prior to our event. Despite freshman orientation training, over 80 percent were unaware of services provided by Timely MD and our on-campus clinic or how to schedule an appointment with campus counseling services. Many students signed up to volunteer with the food bank, animal shelters, and student organizations as they began to see the value of continued community service. Working with this

diverse group of collaborators was an excellent learning experience for members - several are now on a first-name basis with the administrators involved and felt comfortable requesting recommendations for jobs and scholarships. “Presenting Timely MD” sessions taught valuable leadership and public speaking skills to our newest members. Doing research and formulating the survey helped members understand the importance of informed action as they saw how research directed our event. Community service partners had lots of volunteers sign up, and our Be the Match partners reported over 80 new donor registry additions. The survey crafted by our collaboration team supported the HIA academic research findings, indicating that, despite increased attention to at-risk and first-generation student populations at TJC, many students surveyed were unaware of a wide spectrum of student success services. Spurred on by our event data, TJC administration updated student internet access in December 2022 and they are currently researching additional mental health resources and public transportation options to best serve our students. Faculty, members, advisors, and our collaboration partners became more proactive in reaching out to students with information instead of assuming familiarity with campus support services. HIA team members reported significant improvement in leadership, planning, time management, and communication skills and found new respect for the value of academic research. Our administration asked for data we collected before the break to help facilitate strategic decisions, and they plan to meet with us after the spring semester starts to reflect together over what was learned from this project and how it can benefit our campus and community.

Resources Amp onsah, K. D., Aboagye, G. K., Narh-Kert, M., Commey-Mintah, P., & Boateng, F. K. (2022). The impact of internet usage on students’ success in selected senior high schools in Cape Coast Metropolis, Ghana. European Journal of Educational Sciences, 9(2), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.19044/ejes.v9no2a1

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This study identified new ways for teachers and students to implement active learning. The research questions explored use of varying internet sources and the consequences of frequent or infrequent internet usage on academic success. Results showed that internet access influences the improvement of academic standards among students. This information supported the need for more reliable student internet access. Hod gkinson, S., Godoy, L., Beers, L. S., & Lewin, A. (2017). Improving mental health access for low-income children and families in the primary care setting. Pediatrics, 139(1). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-1175 The purpose of this study was to summarize the current landscape of poverty in the United States, barriers amongst the impoverished, and the relationship between poverty and compromised mental health. The research question for the article was “What is the current situation with poverty in the U.S. and what services are barred off to the impoverished?” Results of the study detailed under-utilization of services closely associated with financial challenges. Lull e, A., & Buzinska, L. (2017). Between a ‘student abroad’ and ‘being from Latvia’: Inequalities of access, prestige, and foreign-earned cultural capital. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 43(8), 1362–1378. https://doi.org/10.1 080/1369183x.2017.1300336 The purpose of this study was to analyze three interlinked dimensions of inequality including access to education at home and abroad and varying prestige of higher education qualifications from different countries and universities. The research question “How does emigration affect a person’s dimensions of inequalities and their accesses.” Broad implications included inequalities such as not being accepted due to technicalities, needing an inside connection to enter the workforce, and devaluation of degrees earned abroad. Economic equality affected access to higher education and contributed to inequalities in the value of that education.

Schl esinger, M. A., Hassinger-Das, B., Zosh, J. M., Sawyer, J., Evans, N., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2020). Cognitive behavioral science behind the value of play: Leveraging everyday experiences to promote play, learning, and positive interactions. Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy, 19(2), 202–216. https://doi.org/10.1080/15289168.2020.175 5084 The purpose of the study was to use cognitive behavioral science to leverage everyday experiences in children to promote play, learning, and positive interactions. The authors’ research question was “How can we advance the everyday experiences of children to promote childhood success inside and outside of the school?” Results showed playful activities support childhood and adult cognition and development. Engaging in play helped navigate language barriers, an issue on our campus. Shaa ban, K., & Reda, R. (2021). Impact of college provided transportation on the absenteeism and academic performance of engineering students. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/9727 The purpose of this study was to investigate students using transportation provided by the college and its impact on their number of absences and academic performance. Results of the study showed generally higher GPAs and lower absence rates among the students with reliable transportation. Data was shared with the Institutional Effectiveness Office to support better bus schedule advertising and more frequent bus availability on campus. Smit h, J. G., Vilhauer, R. P., & Chafos, V. (2016). Do military veteran and civilian students function differently in college? Journal of American College Health, 65(1), 76–79. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2016.1245 193 The purpose of this study was to assess military veterans’ functioning in college by comparing their experience to civilian students. The research question asked, “Do military veteran students and civilian students function differently in college?”

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Results of the study showed both military veteran and civilian students with past trauma exposure fail to “fit in” more frequently, affecting college engagement and success. Willi ams, J. R. (2022). Voices of the minority: Diverse experiences from practitioners in the field of sports and exercise psychology. Sport & Exercise Psychology Review, 17(2), 36–45. https://doi.org/10.53841/ bpssepr.2022.17.2.36 The purpose of this study was to explore varied experiences and information retention under stress for practitioners identifying as a minority group within the field or sports and exercise psychology. Areas valuable to our project and highlighted for further research included invisible and visible embedded discrimination, barriers to advancement, and perceived qualities and abilities of the practitioner based on demographics. Xier ali, I. M., & Nivet, M. A. (2018). The racial and ethnic composition and distribution of primary care physicians. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 29(1), 556–570. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2018.0036 The purpose of this study is to examine the differences among primary care physician practice locations and patient demographics by specialty and race/ethnicity. This research confirmed confirm significant differences not only in physician distribution across under-served areas, but also in the racial ethnic composition by primary care specialties, with internist most diverse and family physicians least diverse. Patient demographics showed significant correlation with regard to physician selection. Patients were less likely to seek medical care from a physician of a different gender, race or ethnicity. These finding supported the value of Timely MD’s online physician resources and the student’s ability to select their physician.

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Mission Possible: Using Assistive Technology to Level the Playing Field Lambda Pi Chapter Wetern Nebraska Community College Scottsbluff, Nebraska

Theme Play it Forward

Abstract One member was inspired to learn more about how individuals with physical impairments can engage and be successful in the gaming world. She learned about auditory cues and other technology that assists them. Looking at the 2022/2023 Honors Study Topic, The Art and Science of Play, we researched Theme 7, Play it Forward. We found that people with disabilities do not have the same opportunities as abledbodied gamers to play. Our researched showed that while advancements were being made for people with physical impairments, those people still do not have the same opportunities for inclusion and accessibility. We determined that we needed to raise awareness about the technology available for the physically impaired. Play sparks creation, research, and advancement for assistive technology to improve quality of life and inclusivity in gaming. After those discussions, we used our grant to purchase assistive technology to demonstrate how people with disabilities can use it for gaming, medical treatments, and rehabilitation. To put our research into action, we reached out to several businesses that provide accessible technology for people with physical impairments but received no responses. We then reached out to the local Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and to college faculty. We reached out to the principal at a local middle school regarding our work and the desire to share it with a larger audience. Their students had been doing honors research and they were having an honors gala. We were invited to be a part of the gala to educate the students by allowing them to try our assistive technology

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games. We impacted 800 middle school students plus the teachers and parents in attendance. Our administration was impressed and invited us to set up the same display for Spring In-Service, where 150 employees had the opportunity to play our games.

Objectives Following inspiration from The Art and Science of Play, our Honors in Action (HIA) team’s initial research objectives were to: • have each team member complete the Research Edge by September 5 • learn more about HIA

• host an HIA session with Dr. Susan Edwards in early September 4 • have a WNCC librarian do a session on scholarly sources in late August 5 • have each team member find three scholarly articles by September 5 Stage two research objectives included having each member review two of the top eight sources and write a short annotation. Our action and collaboration goals set out to raise awareness of how assistive technology levels out the playing field and allows those with physical impairments to play when they could not in the past. Our action objectives included: • have each team member find technology for physically impaired people • host events for people to experience technology made for inaccessible gaming • create team opportunities that provide research training for our chapter to grow as academic scholars Our collaboration objectives included: • research available community resources and increase awareness of found resources • partner with the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing • collaborate with college administrators,

faculty, staff and students to demonstrate technology • work with Bluffs Middle School to host an event to educate hundreds of middle school students on the topic of inclusive and accessible technology

Academic Investigation This topic was inspired by one member’s interest in gaming and gamers with physical impairments. This member began researching the Art and Science of Play, she explored several themes and research questions related to this topic. Weekly emails were sent out to members about the Honors in Action Project and others were encouraged to join. When no members participated, the one member decided to study Theme 3, Systems of Play. She then researched related topics to the theme’s question, In what ways do one’s role, identity, and access influence the experience of play? After careful thought about the theme’s question, she came up with a research question to help guide research about how disabilities affect playing games. She met with the college librarian to learn how to find scholarly sources. After more people joined in helping with the project and analyzed the found sources, they discovered the various technology available and used to assist people with disabilities through playing games. This led the team to switch themes to Theme 7, Play it Forward. We then revised our research question and landed on the following: What impact does technology have for individuals with physical impairments in the ability to play? This led us to finding a few more sources to support the question. The team met and picked the top eight sources from our gathered list. We assigned each member two sources to analyze again to provide support toward our new research question.

Conclusions Our team concluded there is a variety of technology produced that allows accessibility for gamers with physical impairments through the use of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology, eye-tracking technology, motion sensory (Kinect) technology, voice technology, and many more.

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Figure 2

Figure 1

Figure 3

We also learned how this technology improves quality of life for these individuals. In addition, we learned how brain-computer interface technology can be used for all, not just those with physical impairments. They can be used as a potential alternative to existing input devices such as mice and keyboards.

scholars. These partners presented general information on HIA, how to give a presentation, and how to find scholarly sources.

Action Based on our research conclusions, we wanted to raise awareness about assistive technology for all ages. We had three different events, and we attached a picture from each one. Figure 1 shows our interaction with middle school students. Figure 2 is our team and the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing demonstrating assistive technology to new WNCC students. Figure 3 is the executive vice president and our dean of students going head-to-head in Mind Duel at the WNCC Spring Employee InService. For our academic research component, we wanted experts to help us grow as academic

We collaborated with individuals at PTK International Headquarters, our college librarian, Institutional Data, English faculty, the WNCC executive leadership team, counselors, teachers, a high school principal, WNCC staff/ faculty, marketing, and one individual from the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. After failing to connect with an innovative company specializing in technology for individuals with physical impairments, we reached out to a couple of faculty members. From those conversations, we came up with the idea to purchase some assistive technology and allow people to have first-hand experience to use the equipment. We reached out to the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Office because they are experts and deal with individuals with physical

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impairments every day. The coordinator was a former Phi Theta Kappa member and was excited to be a part of our action. To reach out to younger students, we contacted a middle school principal in Scottsbluff. We went to the school and set up our table with our technology. We had students, families, and employees experience what it would be like to play a game using only their minds. We collaborated with our administration throughout the fall semester. They wanted to know about our research results because they want to ensure inclusivity and accessibility for WNCC students. This collaboration provided the opportunity for college faculty and staff to experience these games. We asked the English faculty to review and provide feedback on our written HIA project. We were also asked to share our findings at New Student Orientation, with which we collaborated with Student Life and Engagement. We also have the opportunity to share this technology in the future with Meridian School and LifeLinks, both with students with physical impairments. All these collaborators helped our project come together to raise awareness for people of all ages about assistive technology. They only got a small taste of what is available, but it started the conversations as to what the future can hold for individuals with physical impairments.

Impact We did a presentation at the Bluffs Middle School for over 800 students, including some family and faculty. They came to our table and enjoyed interacting with the brain games. One student commented, “Oh my gosh, this is magic!” We educated how this brain interface technology not only can be used for games but also for rehabilitation and future treatments of different medical conditions. We also explained how this technology can be used to assist those with disabilities. Many students were impressed by this technology. They exclaimed, “I didn’t even know this existed!” and “This is super interesting to learn about!” One teacher recommended our team to present this to LifeLinks and ESU. The Bluffs Middle School shared our project on their social media page.

We presented our project to faculty at the college and let them interact with the games. We also presented to our Board of Governors. Our team showed students at New Student Orientation and let them interact with our games. They were also able to learn about assistive technology available from the Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing office. The coordinator said, “Technology has created a whole new world for people with hearing impairments.” This project allowed our chapter to grow as scholars and leaders by completing the Research Edge, learning presentation tips from Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters, how to find scholarly articles from the college librarian, and how to educate others about our project. Our chapter learned it can be difficult to reach out to people in the community. One member had trouble receiving calls or messages back from companies. Although the team created a timeline and timely objectives to meet, we did not always meet them as we planned. Our team faced difficulties with our technology. One of them required a specific app that was not available to one of the devices we borrowed. Luckily, we were able to download and use it on a different device. We could not access the download for the eye tracking device we purchased, and we reached out to the company several times and never received a response. Our faculty technology expert is working to fix the problem. Our team learned how the brain interface technology required patience and a lot of adjustments. Sometimes we could not get the technology to register due to different sizes of heads or hair in the way. It took just the right placement to link up the devices. Lambda Pi will continue to have conversations with WNCC administration to ensure inclusion and accessibility for all students. Our chapter also plans to keep the purchased technology and continue to raise awareness about available technology for individuals with physical impairments. It is our vision to continue to inform individuals about the impact of the ever-evolving assistive technology on quality life and gaming. Games are changing and assistive technology makes it clear the mission will soon be possible for everyone.

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Resources Cel esti, A., Cimino, V., Naro, A., Portaro, S., Fazio, M., Villari, M., & Calabró, R. S. (2022). Recent considerations on gaming console-based training for multiple sclerosis rehabilitation. Medical Sciences, 10(1), 13. MDPI AG. http:// dx.doi.org/10.3390/medsci10010013 This article described a rehabilitation program that uses a Nintendo Wii Fit Plus Balance Board. This helps patients with multiple sclerosis, a chronic disease in the central nervous system, improve physical motor abilities and quality of life. This research and data were shared over a cloud network for other hospitals to reference and support future rehabilitation programs. Tah eri, A., Weissman, Z., & Sra, M. (2021, October 22). Design and evaluation of a hands-free video game controller for individuals with motor impairments. Frontiers, 3. https://doi. org/10.3389/fcomp.2020.751455 This article discussed the use of a hands-free controller for people with neurological and neuromuscular diseases. Facial expression recognition allows them to play online games without using their hands. The development of this technology allows individuals with motor disabilities almost the same amount of control with movements and game play as those individuals with no physical impairments. Ellis , K., & Kao, K.-T. (2019). Who gets to play? Disability, open literacy, gaming. Cultural Science Journal, 11(1), 111-125. https:// sciendo.com/article/10.5334/csci.128 This article supports the perspective of individuals with physical impairments. Most digital access to technology excluded individuals with physical impairments. These individuals often feel portrayed as in-need of training by using games instead of having consideration for their interest in gaming. There is also much more research focused on younger audiences over older audiences. This limits the understanding of individuals with physical impairments.

And rade, R., Rogerson, M. J., Waycott, J., Baker, S., & Vetere, F. (2019). Playing blind: Revealing the world of gamers with visual impairment. ACM Digital Library. https:// dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3290605.3300346 This article talked about how people feel regarding issues around accessibility in games. They interviewed people with hearing and visual impairments to talk about their experiences. Collectively, they thought a few game engines such as Steam or Unity games are difficult to navigate. Wan g, Z., Yu, Y., Xu, M., Liu, Y., Yin, E., & Zhou, Z. (2019). Towards a hybrid bci gaming paradigm based on motor imagery and SSVEP. International Journal of HumanComputer Interaction, 35(3), 197–205. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2018.144 5068 This article showed that brain-computer interfaces (BCI) allow individuals with impairments, and those without, can use this system. For those with impairments, this helps restore lost motor functions. After conducting their study, researchers proposed that a hybrid BCI-paradigm would give users entertainment options that would improve happiness and quality of life. The results from the experiment show all ten subjects successfully completing all tasks with high accuracy. Hero n, M. J., Belford, B. H., Reid, H., & Crabb, M. (2018). Meeple centred design: A heuristic toolkit for evaluating the accessibility of tabletop games. The Computer Games Journal, 7, 97-114. https://link.springer.com/ article/10.1007/s40869-018-0057-8. This article talked about bringing awareness to the inaccessibility in board games. People with visual impairments can have trouble with physically moving pieces around the board and become frustrated. Their impairments that restrict their motor mobilities can disrupt the flow of the game. It can be slow or difficult to perform these actions.

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Hass an, M., Shimizu, Y., Hada, Y., & Suzuki, K. (2022). Joy-Pros: A gaming prosthesis to enable para-esports for persons with upper limb deficiencies. IEEE Access, 10, 18933-18943. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/ document/9712297 In this article, the authors described the difficulty of playing video games with motor impairments. They developed a design for a controller suited for competitive gaming that enables those with motor impairments to utilize it and be comfortable. At the end of their research, they concluded Para-Esports will need different controllers to aid players. Ecke rt, M., Gómez-Martinho, I., Meneses, J., & Martínez, J.-F. (2017). New approaches to exciting exergame-experiences for people with motor function impairments. Sensors, 17(2), 354. https://doi.org/10.3390/ s17020354 Children and adolescents with severe physical impairments are motivated through games when used as a form of physical rehabilitation. They used a Kinect game sensor that reads their abled movements and transmit it to the game. This allowed them to navigate menus and control the game. This improved their motor functions while having fun.

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