What We Do at PLAYCE Studio
Training Community Leaders & Designers
to Engage Through Play
We train the people who shape community.
At PLAYCE Studio, we train planners, designers, public leaders, and changemakers to lead more meaningful, inclusive, and trust-filled engagement.
Our work is grounded in play—but the impact is serious. Through practical, proven methods, we help teams build trust, shift power, and design engagement strategies that lead to resilient communities, successful community participation, and authentic collaboration.
Whether you're working in local government, running a design studio, or engaging directly with community members, PLAYCE gives you the confidence, creativity, and capacity to move beyond traditional approaches and lead community engagement that actually works.
Our Core Services
The PLAYCE Engagement Academy
A 3-level training program for professionals who lead community engagement. We teach a proven, play-based approach to inclusive facilitation, public participation, and collaborative planning.
Live Cohorts (with Certification)
Join our flagship experience—live on Zoom, interactive, and project-billable. Earn digital badges, continuing education credits, and access to the PLAYCE community.
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Level 1: Foundations of Playful Engagement
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Level 2: Transforming Insights into Impact
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Level 3: Certification in Playful Placemaking Facilitation
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Advance to: Certified PLAYCE Practitioner
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Live via Zoom | 1 hour/week | Billable on most projects
Digital badge + certification available
Self-Study Track (On-Demand)
Learn on your own schedule with access to videos, prompts, and tools. Ideal for independent learners or those exploring PLAYCE before committing to certification.
Note: Certifications are currently only available through the live cohort.
Consultant-as-trainer model builds in-house capacity for your team.
Bring PLAYCE to Your Project
Hire us to support engagement on your project.
If your team is leading the design, planning, or strategy—we’ll design and lead the community engagement process with you.
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Community meeting design + facilitation
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Public participation strategies
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Stakeholder engagement planning
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Play-based methods for insight and inclusion
We act as a true partner—bringing trust-building, creativity, and clarity to your team and community.
Keynote Speaking & Live Sessions
Inspiring. Practical. Unforgettable.
We bring the same heart, clarity, and creativity from our workshops into the keynote space—offering dynamic sessions that are both inspiring and immediately actionable.
Whether you're planning a conference, leadership retreat, university gathering, or professional summit, we speak to the moments that matter: transformation, trust, and the courage to do things differently.
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Beyond the Public Meeting
Fresh tools and creative strategies for meaningful, inclusive community participation. -
Reimagining Leadership Through Play
How curiosity, trust, and play can reshape how we lead teams, projects, and change. -
The Long Game (Joy)
Designing for impact that lasts—what community, care, and creativity reveal about time.
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Squishy is a Superpower (Cheryl)
Leading with empathy, clarity, and self-trust in spaces that often ask us to harden.
University Partnerships
Train the next generation of engagement leaders.
We partner with universities to embed PLAYCE’s methodology into real-world studio courses and design education.
Our focus? Training design students to become skilled, confident facilitators—not just future planners or architects, but bridge-builders between ideas and communities.
- Best delivered as semester-long, studio-integrated support
- Aligned with hands-on, public-facing coursework
- Currently partnering with Landscape Architecture, Architecture and Planning programs—open to departments like Public Health, Urban Affairs, and beyond
After working with PLAYCE, students don’t just understand engagement—they’ve lived it.
Tools, Resources & Community
Support beyond the session.
PLAYCE Studio doesn’t just train facilitators—we equip you with tools, resources, and a welcoming community to keep your momentum going.
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Engagement Tools
Tangible tools to help you spark insight, build trust, and shift the tone of any conversation.
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Insight Cards – A deck designed to deepen reflection and dialogue
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Unleash the Power of Play – A free resource to jumpstart your engagement approach
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Learn at Your Own Pace
Explore the self-study version of the PLAYCE Engagement Academy—ideal for independent learners or those getting started with PLAYCE methods.
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Join the Community
Drop in to our weekly PLAYCE Mastermind Calls—open to all. It’s a casual space to get support, play with new ideas, and stay connected with others doing this work.
- Fridays at 10 am EST/7 am PST on Zoom
- Join a Mastermind Call »
Not sure where to begin?
Hear from our Community
Real reflections from people across different paths—on what it’s like to learn, play, and grow with the PLAYCE community.
"We had full participation, active discussions, and everyone had FUN! Some of the attendees were engagement professionals and said it was the best public meeting they’ve ever attended! "
Blake Belanger
Kansas State University
“I think the revelation is that PLAYCE not only enlivens and expands engagement and interaction with the community, but it also helps redefine the entire design process and its priorities.”
Aimee Arceo
Landscape Architect
"The methodology is unlike anything encountered before, turning the studio into a dynamic, engaging learning environment. This wasn't just about teaching students; it was about immersing them in the real world, listening to the community, and actively involving them in the design process."
Conrad Kickert
University of Buffalo
"I used what I learned from PLAYCE the very next day in a team meeting—and it changed everything. People opened up, we got to the heart of the issue faster, and there was laughter instead of resistance."
Christina Weiler
Landscape Architect
"I have felt more empowered in this course than any school course that I have ever taken. There is something special about how easy the course is while at the same time being so impactful. I wish university courses felt this empowering."
Joshua Kuhowski
Student, University of Michigan
“It made me think about how engagement feels in different languages, different cultures. Sometimes words don’t translate—but play does.”
Cuiyan Mei
Landscape Architect
Ready to Lead Engagement That Feels Different?
Book a Discovery Call to explore your path with PLAYCE Studio.
Whether you’re designing a park, shaping policy, or reimagining how your team connects with community—there’s a PLAYCE for you here.
Let’s find your entry point.
We’ll meet you where you are and help you move toward trust-filled, playful, and truly meaningful engagement.
No pressure—just possibilities.
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PLAYCE | Placemaking through play.