WiT Webinar: Building Mental Health Resilience Through Play with MESH Helps
Zoom
Event Details
DATE: Thursday, May 30, 2024
TIME: 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
COST: MEMBERS: This Webinar is free for WIT members. | NON-MEMBERS: The non-member fee for this Webinar is $29.
Did you know we are in a mental health crisis among children and teens? Rates of childhood mental health concerns have risen steadily since 2010. Nonprofit organization, MESH Helps, has identified 8 crucial mental, emotional, and social health (MESH) skills that can help kids strengthen resilience in an ever-changing world. As the mental health issues in our youth population grow, the goal is not to simply understand the problem but to identify evidence-based strategies that protect and strengthen the mental health of our youth and the mental health obstacles they face.
Join this webinar with MESH Helps to:
- Identify the 8 mental, emotional, and social health (MESH) skills that can intentionally
build resilience through play - Recognize the 4 play patterns that encourage skills of resilience
- Learn strategies that protect and strengthen the mental health of our youth
- Understand MESH Accreditation framework for toys and games
About the Presenters
Rachele Harmuth, head of ThinkFun, division of Ravensburger
Rachele Harmuth kicked off her toy career at 18 by forming a company to attend the New York Toy Fair. With an industrial design degree from Carnegie Mellon University, she's spent 30 years in design, marketing, brand management, and sales. Her expertise spans brands like K’NEX, Klutz, Scholastic, and Fat Brain Toys. Known for her enthusiasm and passion, she creates impactful products for kids and enjoys setting up treasure hunts, organizing cardboard boat races, and injecting fun into life with her family.
Ahren Hoffman, Project Manager, MESH Helps
Ahren Hoffman is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) as well as a Certified Play Expert (CPE) and began her toy industry career in 2007. She has provided creative consultative services to share the potential and possibilities of toys and play and has worked on diverse projects ranging from thought leadership for the National Lekotek Center on the power of play, product reviews for the Toys“R”Us Toy Guide for Differently Abled Kids, developed the first iteration of ASTRA’s Certified Play Expert program and more.