Psychology Faculty and Students Present at U.S. Play Coalition
May 15, 2026
On Thursday, April 30, St. John Fisher University psychology professor and four undergraduate students presented their research in a hands-on workshop at the U.S. Play Coalition national conference in Bloomington, Indiana.
Led by Dr. Zachary Gold, assistant professor of psychology, students Marta Hevko, Trinity Kenney, Eliana Kelly, and Jade Stewart served as co-authors of the workshop titled, “Block play in the contemporary classroom: Revisiting the progressive education movement.”
The workshop reintroduced the teaching philosophies of Friedrich Froebel, who invented kindergarten in the 1830s. Teachers had opportunities to observe demonstrations and engage with Froebel Gifts, the wood block sets Froebel invented as part of his curriculum, which are still sold today.
Hevko and Kenney, who received this year’s award for Scholarly Activity in Psychology, attended the conference with Gold and played a key role in demonstrating how to use various play materials to support children’s learning.
“Fisher psychology students are just wonderful, and I was lucky to work with a team of engaged students who actively participated in conference sessions throughout the three-day program,” said Gold. “It was especially meaningful for them to attend a keynote by Peter Gray, one of the 20th century’s preeminent play scholars.”
As student collaborators on the presentation, Hevko, Kenney, Kelly, and Stewart will earn co-authorship on a peer-reviewed publication.
“This is something I try to offer motivated students. I could not be prouder of their accomplishments this year,” added Gold. “The most important opportunity I had as an undergraduate was conducting research and attending national conferences with my mentor and fellow students. Students are able to translate their research to practice and gain real-world experiences with educators and academics working on similar projects.”
The U.S. Play Coalition is attended by hundreds of early childhood teachers each year. Teachers often seek ways to innovate in their classroom practices, and play-based learning is a rich context for supporting children's development.
Psychology Faculty and Students Present at U.S. Play Coalition2026-05-15T11:32:47-04:00On Thursday, April 30, St. John Fisher University psychology professor and four undergraduate students presented their research in a hands-on workshop at the U.S. Play Coalition national conference in Bloomington, Indiana.Led by Dr. Zachary Gold, assistant professor of psychology, students Marta Hevko, Trinity Kenney, Eliana Kelly, and Jade Stewart served as co-authors of the workshop titled, “Block play in the contemporary classroom: Revisiting the progressive education movement.”
The workshop reintroduced the teaching philosophies of Friedrich Froebel, who invented kindergarten in the 1830s. Teachers had opportunities to observe demonstrations and engage with Froebel Gifts, the wood block sets Froebel invented as part of his curriculum, which are still sold today.
Hevko and Kenney, who received this year’s award for Scholarly Activity in Psychology, attended the conference with Gold and played a key role in demonstrating how to use various play materials to support children’s learning.
“Fisher psychology students are just wonderful, and I was lucky to work with a team of engaged students who actively participated in conference sessions throughout the three-day program,” said Gold. “It was especially meaningful for them to attend a keynote by Peter Gray, one of the 20th century’s preeminent play scholars.”
As student collaborators on the presentation, Hevko, Kenney, Kelly, and Stewart will earn co-authorship on a peer-reviewed publication.
“This is something I try to offer motivated students. I could not be prouder of their accomplishments this year,” added Gold. “The most important opportunity I had as an undergraduate was conducting research and attending national conferences with my mentor and fellow students. Students are able to translate their research to practice and gain real-world experiences with educators and academics working on similar projects.”
The U.S. Play Coalition is attended by hundreds of early childhood teachers each year. Teachers often seek ways to innovate in their classroom practices, and play-based learning is a rich context for supporting children's development.