Co-Design Clinics

The Urban Griot Playground

An innovative, rhythm-driven family workshop series.

Urban Griots for Families

The Urban Griot Playground is:

  • 🥁 Bonding Through Play: Enjoy quality time as you guide your child through fun, interactive quests.
  • 📚 Building Strong Foundations: Help your child develop early literacy and STEAM skills in a playful, stress-free way.
  • 🌍 Celebrating Culture: Experience activities inspired by African traditions, music, and storytelling.
  • 🛡️ Safe & Supportive: You control your child's experience and privacy every step of the way.


Ready for a rhythm quest? Explore the rhythms of the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and proverbs with your child. Our activities and tools are designed for ages 3–6 and blend hands-on musical play with creative digital experiences.

Try the Alphariddims App Now


Learn How It Works!
What is UGP?
The Urban Griot Playground study investigates how leveraging cultural systems can lead to a transformation of praxis in PreK-3 education through systematic integration of cultural tools and embodied practices into the learning ecology.
Who can participate?
If you have a child aged 3 to 6, they are the right fit for the UGP workshop study.
Workshop Structure
The workshop series comprises of different modules, each targeting various learning domains (drama, music, literacy, math, STEM). Each session is divided into three parts:

Circle: Communicate

A communal gathering promoting relationship-building through group activities and interactive communication.

E-Learning: Create

Stimulating children's multiple literacies using technology-based tasks and multimedia content creation.

Practice: Celebrate

Engaging in drama and improvisation to create performance pieces that embody children's identities and values.

At Home Support
We extend your child's learning journey to the home with at home activities to reinforce the skills they picked up in the workshop, and deepen their understanding.

Learning through Digital Games

Your child will have access to our interactive digital game, Alphariddims. The game continues the rhythm-based challenges learned in the workshop, to reinforce the concepts learned.

E-Learning: Create

Parental engagement at home is key. We provide a reflection journal/survey integrated within the game for parents to discuss and understand their child's learning experiences more deeply.

Reinforcing Learning

Repetition and application of newly learned skills are key to effective learning. By applying the skills learned in the workshops to the home environment, you'll enhance your child's overall learning journey.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Registration Process
Enrolling in UGP is simple, follow these steps.
STEP 01
Agree to Consent Documents
Read and agree to the study consent documents.
STEP 02
Create an Account
Read and agree to the study consent documents.
STEP 03
Complete Pre-Workshop Questionnaire
Help us understand your child's current learning status.
STEP 04
Schedule a Pre-Workshop Interview
Book a 30-minute phone interview with us to discuss your child's learning needs and answer any questions you might have.
STEP 05
Attend the Pre-Workshop Interview
Take part in the 30-minute phone interview.
Interested? Subscribe to the Waitlist and be among the first to be notified when registration officially opens!
Contact
Pierre-Valery Tchetgen, PhD
Assistant Professsor
College of Arts, Media & Design
Department of Music
Northeastern University
Room 337F, Ryder Hall
info@urbangriot.org
Urban Griot Collaborative
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