JoyfulLearningCollaborative.org
Welcome to the Joyful Learning Collaborative!
The Joyful Learning Collaborative (JLC) is dedicated to building joyful, equitable learning environments through partnerships with educators, researchers, and communities. Together, we explore playful, inquiry-driven teaching practices that honor the diverse strengths of every learner and foster spaces where all children can thrive.
We’re excited to collaborate with you!
About Us
The JLC is an interdisciplinary space for innovation and collaboration, dedicated to reimagining elementary education. We explore strategies to best support children in elementary school, especially those in primary grades (PK-3) from marginalized or historically underserved communities. Through our work, we integrate playful learning, inquiry, movement, and student agency to foster equity and joy in childhood outcomes.
Our mission includes preparing educators to implement socially just, constructivist, culturally responsive, and developmentally appropriate practices that counter the growing “schoolification” of early childhood. By adopting a spirit of experimentation and co-creation, the Collaboratory pushes the boundaries of traditional education to build joyful, inclusive learning environments.
The JLC aims to advance educational equity, joy, and innovation in early childhood and elementary education. We conduct critical research and collaborative projects to:
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Address systemic inequities in education.
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Empower educators to integrate playful, culturally responsive, and inclusive teaching practices.
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Promote joyful, developmentally appropriate learning experiences that uplift all children.
Through interdisciplinary partnerships, we are transforming classrooms into spaces where equity, joy, and inquiry thrive.
As a hub for research and experimentation, the Joyful Learning Collaboratory focuses on creating equitable learning environments through playful, inquiry-driven instruction. Current projects include co-creating culturally responsive, play-based science materials for early elementary classrooms, designed to reflect and celebrate students’ diverse identities while promoting hands-on, engaging learning. By fostering collaboration among educators, researchers, and communities, the Collaboratory reimagines how we teach and learn. We invite you to join us in transforming education through research and innovation.
JLC Projects
The JLC is a new initiative dedicated to advancing innovative research and practices in education, with a focus on equity, playful learning, and social justice. We are excited to be in the early stages of developing several dynamic projects that will engage educators, families, and communities. Stay tuned as we build momentum—updates, collaborations, and opportunities to get involved are coming soon!
Play, Learn, Explore:
Transforming Early Science Education
This project, currently awaiting funding, aims to empower kindergarten teachers to co-create and implement active, playful science learning environments. Using design-based research and iterative feedback loops, teachers will work with an advisory board and the research team to develop culturally responsive, linguistically inclusive science materials tailored to diverse student needs. Rather than relying on pre-packaged kits, teachers will co-design their own resources, enhancing their capacity, confidence, and pedagogical expertise.
The project will also implement a train-the-trainer model that equips advisory board teachers to lead peer professional development sessions, creating a scalable framework for early science education. This initiative addresses equity gaps in early science instruction (K-2) by building teacher efficacy and increasing student engagement with inquiry-based learning. Ultimately, the project lays the foundation for national expansion, supporting sustainable improvements in early childhood science education.
🌳 Lilburn Elementary:
A Joyful Collaboration in Guided Play
Integrating Literacy, STEM, and Imagination—One Tree at a Time
This spring, the Joyful Learning Collaborative partnered with Lilburn Elementary School’s Kindergarten team to design and launch a pilot Guided Play Space aligned with their EL Module 4 theme: “How and why are trees important to us and our communities?”
But this is no ordinary play space.
Together with teachers, coaches, and paraprofessionals, we co-created an integrated, cross-curricular environment where play is purposeful—and joyful. Every center invites children to explore key concepts in literacy, math, science, social studies, and the arts through active, student-led engagement.
Designed to Support Teachers
This space is not a scripted curriculum. It’s a flexible, child-centered environment that invites children to explore important ideas through hands-on investigation and storytelling.
We worked closely with the Kindergarten team to ensure:
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Activities are aligned with Q4 EL, math, and science standards
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Materials are either already available, affordable, or gathered from nature
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The environment works within the existing 35-minute weekly schedule
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Teachers feel supported with ready-to-use prompts and visuals
A Peek Inside the Space
🎯 Task Cards & Teacher Prompts in Action
Each play center features visual task cards for students and support prompts for adults. These tools make it easy to guide meaningful play without formal lesson plans, but adults and children are encouraged to bring their own ideas!.
🛒 Dramatic Play Tree Nursery
Flower pots, play money, seed packets, and trowels transform this center into a pretend plant shop where students “buy,” “sell,” and “plant” trees and flowers.
✍️ Plans, Posters, Blueprints, & More
In the writing area, students draw maps, label tree parts, and create persuasive posters to inspire tree planting in their communities.
📚Leaves, Trunks, Pages, & Spines
The literacy area has been stocked with fiction and non-fiction tree texts to support a thematic focus.
🏗️ Building Big Ideas
At the engineering station, students design and construct treehouses, test how objects move, and record their findings.
🎨 Natural Creativity
The art center is stocked with natural materials for bark rubbings, leaf collages, and seasonal tree representations.
Thank You, Lilburn Team!
We are so grateful to the Kindergarten educators and paraprofessionals who embraced this playful pilot and collaborated every step of the way.
Downloadable Resources
Want to try something similar in your space?
We’re sharing the student task cards and teacher prompts that helped bring this play space to life.
▶️ [Download the Full Task Card Set – PDF]
These resources are free to use and adapt. Please credit the Joyful Learning Collaborative when sharing or reposting.
Current Research Studies
At the Joyful Learning Collaborative, we are committed to amplifying the voices of educators and school leaders who believe in the power of play, curiosity, and equity in education. Below are our active research studies — open now for participation!
Balancing Play and Policy: A Case Study of Active, Playful Learning in a High-Stakes 3rd Grade Classroom
PI: Dr. Karyn Allee (Mercer University)
What We’re Studying: How one 3rd-grade teacher in Florida integrates active, playful learning—like gamification, student choice, and project-based learning—while navigating high-stakes testing, state mandates, and political pressures. This study examines the tensions, strategies, and successes that make joyful learning possible in restrictive environments.
Who Should Participate: Doctoral students or candidates with an interest in playful learning, equity, and qualitative research methods.
What’s Involved: Collaborating on a qualitative case study that includes classroom observations, interviews, and instructional artifact analysis. Ideal for those building a research portfolio in DEI, policy-in-practice, or elementary education.
Participate Now: Email Dr. Karyn Allee at allee_ka@mercer.edu to express interest or learn more.
Leading with Purpose: How Administrators Support Playful Learning in K–2
PIs: Dr. Karyn Allee, Dr. Annemarie Kaczmarczyk, and Dr. Mei Tran (Mercer University)
What We’re Studying: How school leaders navigate the tension between developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and accountability pressures in early grades.
Who Should Participate: Current or recent elementary school leaders (principals, APs, EC coordinators, district leaders).
What’s Involved: A 15–20 minute survey, with an optional virtual or in-person focus group.
Participate Now: Click here to take the survey »
Active & Joyful: Designing Classrooms That Center Equity, Play, and Curiosity
PIs: Dr. Annemarie Kaczmarczyk and Dr. Karyn Allee (Mercer University)
What We’re Studying: How teacher candidates imagine and design equitable and joyful classroom environments.
Who Should Participate: MAT (initial teaching certification) students in elementary education programs.
What’s Involved: A 15–20 minute survey with an option to upload a photo of your classroom setup.
Participants are entered into a raffle to win one of four $25 gift cards.
Survey Deadline: April 25, 2025
Participate Now: Click here to take the survey »
These studies are part of our broader mission to elevate educator perspectives and influence teacher education, classroom design, and educational leadership practices. We welcome you to share the flyers, links, and social posts on our Instagram or Facebook pages.
Let’s work together to amplify joyful, equity-driven education!
Meet Our Team
Our team is a passionate group of educators, researchers, and community partners dedicated to fostering joyful, equitable learning experiences. Together, we bring diverse expertise and a shared commitment to transforming education for all children.
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