PROJECT PLAY INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS
Project Play México, a partnership between Aspen Institute México, the Mexican Olympic Committee, the Mexican Soccer Federation, the Mexican Baseball League, the Sports Commission of the Mexican House of Representatives and others was launched in 2017 to convene stakeholders in a series of events and roundtables, with the goal of promoting physical activity and sports as a social movement in school-aged children and adolescents. A permanent advisory council of athletes, NGOs, government leaders and Project Play México partners meets biannually to develop activations.
The initial two-year process, in partnership with Universidad Anáhuac México and Universidad del Valle de México, consulted over 60 experts and culminated in a capstone report, Play Book México, which was released in November 2019.
In 2020 Project Play México partnered with AS México, one of the largest sports media outlets in the country, as the program’s official media partner. The collaboration launched with a series of short videos on the importance of promoting physical activity in early 2021.
The group held 9 webinars in 2021 on barriers to accessing physical activity, sports and active play in Mexico, reaching more than 25,000 viewers.
April 2022 was declared the Month of Physical Activity and Sports in Mexico, featuring a communications campaign and an international forum for leaders and researchers. Additional activities included a Physical Activity and Sports Fair, giving children the opportunity to sample multiple sports supported by the country’s sports federations, organizations, clubs and leagues, a physical literacy campaign to for education and health leaders on the impact and importance of physical activity, and an international forum on children’s rights in sports.
In June 2023, more than 2,000 children participated in a Feria del Deporte (Sports Fair), in partnership with the Mexican Olympic Committee and in celebration of Olympic Day.