BOSTON, Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Life is Good Playmaker Project released its 2025 Impact Report earlier this year, highlighting the measurable progress and growing momentum of its mission to help kids heal from trauma and grow into the next generation of powerful, world-changing optimists.

As the in-house nonprofit of Life is Good, the original positive lifestyle brand, The Playmaker Project equips early childhood professionals, known as Playmakers, with trauma-informed, play-based training, resources, and community support to create safe, joyful, and resilient environments for children facing adversity.

In 2025 alone, The Playmaker Project welcomed more than 4,500 new early childhood professionals into their community - now 30,000 strong. These trained Playmakers ensure over one million children annually have the relationships and experiences they need to heal and thrive. The Playmaker Project also achieved international recognition this year through the International Association of Continuing Education and Training (IACET), the gold standard in professional learning. As an IACET Accredited Provider, they can now offer IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.

Their 2025 Impact Report details a year of dynamic growth, deepened partnerships, and continued investment in long-term, sustainable support for early childhood educators. The Playmaker Project delivered their training to over 55 organizations nationwide, helping teams across the country bring more joy, connection, engagement, and empowerment into their work.

"Play is not a break from learning. Play and learning are synonyms. They are about freely and joyfully, engaging, connecting and exploring the world around you. Play ensures that learning and healing happen simultaneously." said Steve Gross, Founder and Chief Playmaker of the Life is Good Playmaker Project. "Children's earliest relationships are the foundation of their emotional health. When we invest in early childhood professionals, we're investing in the long term health and wellbeing of our country's most precious, natural resource - our children."

"Kids don't grow optimism on their own. It's nurtured by the adults who show up for them every day," added Bert Jacobs, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Optimist of Life is Good. "Our impact continues to grow because we invest in the people who help kids feel safe, seen, and hopeful. The Playmaker Project is about fueling those everyday heroes with the skills, tools and community they need to succeed in shaping an optimistic mindset for the next generation."

Data from their 2025 Impact Report underscores the effectiveness of The Playmaker Project's approach. According to their annual survey of trained Playmakers, 99.5 percent reported improved relationships with the children in their care, a critical factor in long-term outcomes for children, particularly amid rising levels of anxiety and depression nationwide. At a time when nearly 50 percent of early childhood educators report increasing burnout and turnover rates in the field are 65 percent higher than in other professions, 97.5 percent of Playmakers reported reduced burnout after completing training, and 96.5 percent said the experience positively impacted their desire to remain in the profession. Additionally, more than 99 percent of trained Playmakers reported improved ability to support children's social-emotional well-being, even as nearly one in five children in the United States experiences a mental health disorder each year.

Looking ahead to 2026, The Playmaker Project's priority is to provide even more resources for Playmakers while building deeper, long-term relationships with early learning centers across the nation. Two major initiatives will anchor this next phase of growth, expanding both reach and participation in the Playmaker Movement, which remains a top priority for the Life is Good's brand.

In May 2026, The Playmaker Project will launch Playmaker City: Boston, bringing together 100 of the city's most passionate, playful, and powerfully positive early childhood educators for an immersive, in-person experience at MGM Music Hall at Fenway. Designed as a replicable, city-by-city model, Playmaker City is intended to grow the movement one community at a time by investing directly in the educators who make a life-changing difference in the lives of kids every day, right in the cities where they reside.

Also launching in 2026 is a new initiative to turn children's optimism and creativity into real-world impact. Kids are invited to draw their answer to the question, "What makes life good?" Their artwork will be transformed into limited-edition t-shirts, with 100 percent of proceeds supporting the Life is Good Playmaker Project. This is not a contest, but a movement designed to empower kids to be both creators and helpers, giving parents a meaningful way to encourage empathy, creativity, and generosity while amplifying the voices of the next generation of optimists.

The 2025 Life is Good Playmaker Project Impact Report is now available at https://lifeisgood.com/pages/playmaker-project-2025-impact-report and offers a deeper look at the programs, partnerships, and people driving impact today while building a more optimistic tomorrow.

About Life is Good^®
Life is Good, the original positive lifestyle brand, is dedicated to spreading the power of optimism. By creating and selling products featuring positive art and messaging, we inspire optimism as a practice. Both a business and a non-profit, Life is Good donates more than 10 percent of annual net profits to The Life is Good Playmaker Project, which helps over 1 million kids each year to heal from trauma and grow into the next generation of optimists. 

Visit a local Life is Good store near you or LifeisGood.com to learn more. You can also follow Life is Good on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. Life is Good® is a registered trademark of The Life is Good Company.

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SOURCE Life is Good