Healthy Play Team in the United States and Healthy Play Team in Canada
Co-founder, Lead Facilitator
Spencer Gorin is an internationally known presenter, author and originator of multiple programs that increase empathy, self-regulation and discovery. Spencer co-created the anti-bullying, character education program, Healthy Play IS a Solution and co-authored the book, Learning to Play, Playing to Learn, Curriculum and Activities for Classroom and Playground Management.
At the University of Arizona, he is the Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) & Harm Reduction Program Specialist and creator of, The Buzz, a fun, game-oriented and engaging alcohol education program nationally recognized for its originality, effectiveness and joyousness. Other programs Spencer has created or co-created for high-school and college age youth are the anti-hazing program GLUE (Guiding Leaders through Unified Experiences), Conversations About Masculinity, and Navigating Relationship, facilitating self-love, empathy and self-regulation relationship skills through engagement and courageous conversations. Contact Spencer
Co-Facilitator
Dan Meyer, M.Ed., has been a trainer/co-facilitator with Healthy Play for the past 4 years.
Prior to that he was an educator for several years, from co-founding a small school for grades K-3 to spending 20 years as a middle school counselor.
He believes in the goodness and intelligence of all students and their vast ability to learn through play, along with the need for nurturing their social, emotional and problem-solving skills.
He finds that the concepts of Healthy Play match and enhance his own values. Dan is also an accomplished theater actor and enjoys portraying “Skippy,” who represents all our challenging but reachable students at selected Healthy Play trainings.
Co-Facilitator
Joni Rubinstein, M.Ed., has been a fan of Healthy Play since 1997 and a practitioner of Healthy Play since 2007. She has a M.Ed. in School Counseling from the University of Arizona. Joni Likes to start the school year using Healthy Play because it is a great team builder in the classroom and a way for students to learn about the character of each student. She tells her students “How you play is how you are” and encourages them to consider how they play reflects their own character.
Joni loves that HP is “no-tech” and builds social skills that she sees lacking more each year. She believes that play supports connection in a way that is meaningful and fun and provides ways for children to learn empathy, self-regulation, and positive decision making. How Healthy Play naturally cultivates intrinsic rewards for students is why she prefers Healthy Play over token economy programs. No one is left out.
Joni is also the author of, The Night Before My Birthday Book.
Healthy Play Practitioner/Facilitator
Jen’s career in recreation began 18 years ago when she became a support worker for adults with disabilities. She developed and facilitated a Youth Leadership Training program for Rainbow Day Camp, became the Program Coordinator at The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Toronto office, and took on a rewarding leadership role at Trails Youth Initiatives, a provider of outdoor experiential education for vulnerable youth. In 2008, Jen become the Program Coordinator at Easter Seals Camp Horizon. In 2010, Jen was hired as a Recreation Program Specialist at the City of Calgary, and from there, took on a variety of roles, including Sport Coordinator, Learning and Development Coordinator, and Recreation Coordinator.
She has also been a Healthy Play practitioner for the last ten years and recently became one of two Canadian Healthy Play trainers providing training and classroom/program consultations to recreation, sport and education groups across Canada - she is excited to continue to advocate for play and healthy child development!
In her spare time, enjoys hanging out with her family, walking her dog, going to the mountains....and is always up for a new adventure!
Healthy Play Practitioner/Facilitator
Jen has been involved in sport and recreation for over 20 years, working and volunteering for not-for-profit, community, and municipal organizations and has experience as a front-line leader, coach, counsellor, programmer, program specialist, and supervisor. More recently, she has worked on developing an array of community development opportunities within the City of Calgary and is currently working on the City of Calgary - Recreation Access and Inclusion Team.
Jen has also been a Healthy Play Trainer for the last ten years and is excited to now be one of the only Canadian Healthy Play Facilitators and Classroom/Play Consultants providing training and classroom/play consultations to recreation, sport and education groups across Canada.
She is also a certified teacher and has had the pleasure of teaching Grades K - 12 in Calgary, Alberta as well as at Christchurch Girls School (Christchurch, New Zealand).
In her spare time, Jen can be found adventuring with her twins, finding opportunities to play in nature, and keeping a watchful eye on her backyard bee hives.