Twenty Organizations and Schools Named 2026 Project Play Champions

The Aspen Institute’s Project Play Summit introduced ? molly-kaye as Senior Public Affairs Manager at Nickelodeon for “A Special Announcement.” The announcement was the recognition of a new Project Play Champions cohort: 20 organizations and schools, powered by Nickelodeon Our World, that Kaye described as committed to putting children in charge of their sports experiences.

Kaye called the cohort “a diverse and inspiring network of leaders.” The commitments she highlighted were not framed as adult-designed sports access alone, but as efforts to give children more voice in how they play, grow, and lead. She tied the recognition directly to the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports, saying the new commitments help bring it to life by ensuring that every child has an opportunity “to play, to grow, and to lead in their own way.”

A summit graphic displayed the “2026 Project Play Champion” mark surrounded by logos from partner organizations and schools. The spoken remarks did not name the individual cohort members; the emphasis was on the cohort’s shared orientation and the kinds of commitments it represents.

Kaye described those commitments as “innovative” and “community-driven.” Her examples included athlete safety initiatives, student-led programming, and research. The intended result, in her description, is healthier and more inclusive communities built “through the power of play.”

The recognition also carried a standard for what youth sports should protect. Kaye thanked the champions for building young people’s confidence, making sure their voices are “truly heard,” and keeping “joy and play and fun” at the heart of the work. Safety, inclusion, youth leadership, and enjoyment were presented as connected parts of the same project, not separate priorities.

Kaye used Nickelodeon Our World to explain why the Project Play Champions’ youth-led emphasis matters. She described Nickelodeon Our World as a global initiative focused on inspiring children and giving them tools “to activate their individual and collective agency.” For young people, she said, agency begins with confidence: confidence in themselves and in their decisions.

Her account of agency starts in ordinary choices. When children decide what they want to play or what they want to explore, Kaye said, they begin building trust in their own voice.

That idea of agency expands when children work together. Kaye pointed to kids creating something new, such as a club or a project. In those situations, she said, children are “not just participating”; they are beginning “to shape the world around them.” She called that collective agency “incredibly powerful.”

The rationale gives the announcement its through-line. Nickelodeon Our World’s role was presented as supporting children’s capacity to choose, collaborate, and lead. The Project Play Champions were recognized because their commitments align with that youth-centered view of sports: children should not only be included in sports experiences, but should have meaningful opportunities to shape them.

Kaye closed the announcement by congratulating the 2026 Project Play Champions cohort and then introduced Chi Kim for a play talk. The substance of her remarks remained focused on the cohort’s purpose: helping young people build confidence, have their voices heard, and experience sports as a place for joy, leadership, and play.