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Alfred Carlton (A.C.) Gilbert founded and led the A.C. Gilbert Company for over 50 years. What began with magic sets was soon anchored with his invention of Erector Sets and the enameled wire. Over the years, A.C. Gilbert Company also produced chemistry sets, radio kits, microscopes, telegraph sets, electricity sets, weather stations, Atomic Energy sets, and American Flyer trains.1 A.C.'s philosophy “never to work at anything that wasn't fun” created “educational” sets that made learning fun for a generation of children.2

• 1. West, Robert D. “The Life & Times of A.C. Gilbert.” Westr. < http://people.msoe.edu/~westr/gilbert.htm > 11 Nov. 2011.
• 2. Barker, Thomas. “The story behind the magnificent Gilbert Company.” American Flyer.

Active Living Research (ALR) was established in 2001 as a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Their mandate is to “support research to identify environmental factors and policies that influence physical activity” with a special interest in reversing the rise of childhood obesity especially in youth of low-income and high-risk communities.1

• 1. “About Active Living Research.” Active Living Research. < http://www.activelivingresearch.org/about > 13 April 2011.

Jane Addams was an early twentieth century reformer for better living conditions for the poor, equality and justice for oppressed populations, and world peace for all. Born into privilege she lived the majority of her life at Hull House in a German and Italian tenement neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. One of the many reforms she championed was the basic human need for play. In 1909 she declared, “Only in the modern city have men concluded that it is no longer necessary for the municipality to provide for the insatiable desire for play. In so far as they have acted upon this conclusion, they have entered upon a most difficult and dangerous experiment...”1

• 1. Frost, Joe L. A History of Children's Play and Play Environments. New York, NY: Routledge, 2010. p. 71.

Age appropriate design of playground equipment and layout is recommended by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The rationale for this recommendation is that playgrounds should offer a series of “graduated challenges… appropriate for age-related abilities …that children can perceive and choose to undertake.”1

• 1. “Pubic Playground Safety Handbook,” U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Section 1.6-Background, p. 3.

Tim Ahern owns and leads BCI Burke Company, a playground manufacturing company that has been in the business of creating playgrounds since the 1920s. Although not a member of the original Burke family, Tim has held the same values and traits as his predecessors at BCI Burke.

Claude W. Ahrens was born in 1912 in Iowa. His parents raised him with a strong work ethic and close family ties. He graduated from high school in 1931, declaring he wanted to be a millionaire. This brought laughs from his fellow students, since Claude was the poorest student in the school, and the economy was worsening into the Great Depression.

The nonprofit Alliance for Childhood was formed in 1999 out of concern about children's declining health and well-being. Composed of educators, health professionals, and advocates for children, the Alliance “promotes policies and practices that support children's healthy development, love of learning, and joy in living.”1

• 1. “About Us.” Alliance for Childhood. <http://www.alllianceforchildhood.org/about_us> 27 Feb. 2011.

America Bikes is a coalition of seven biking organizations united to advocate for recognition of bicycling needs in the United States. The America Bikes Board of Directors includes a leader from each of the member organizations: the Adventure Cycling Association, the Alliance for Biking & Walking, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, Bikes Belong Coalition, the International Mountain Bicycling Association, the League of American Bicyclists, and the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.1

• 1. “America Bikes Board of Directors.” America Bikes. < http://www.americabikes.org/about/board/ > 13 Nov. 2011.

The National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD) launched the America's State Parks alliance in 2009 to mobilize and educate the public and policy makers on the positive impact on public health and local and state economies that state parks offer. America’s State Parks is dedicated to advocating for the state parks in the fifty states and Puerto Rico.1 Representing nearly 8,000 state parks, which are visited more than 740 million times per year,2 America's State Parks also works with policy makers in Washington, D.C.

• 1. Wolfe, Tom. Email message to Playground Professionals. 11 Aug. 2011.
• 2. “About America's State Parks.” America's State Parks. < http://www.americasstateparks.org/about.php > 10 Aug. 2011.

The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) is a national organization of over 20,000 professionals that provides support and assistance to professionals involved in physical education, recreation, fitness, sports and coaching, health education, and dance. AAHPERD is an alliance of five national associations, six district associations, and a research consortium.1

• 1. “Who We Are.” American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. < http://www.aahperd.org/about/ > 28 Feb. 2011.

The American Journal of Play was established in 2008 by Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. Two years later the museum was renamed The Strong, and the journal became one of five Play Partners within that broader museum concept. Other Play Partners within The Strong are the National Museum of Play, the National Toy Hall of Fame, the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, and the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play.

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) began in 1899 with eleven members. With a mission “to lead, to educate, and to participate in the careful stewardship, wise planning, and artful design of our cultural and natural environments,”1 membership has grown to over 18,000 members in all 50 states, the U.S. territories, and over 40 countries around the world.2

• 1. “Our Mission.” American Society of Landscape Architects. < http://www.asla.org/AboutJoin.aspx > 17 Oct. 2011.
• 2. “Frequently Asked Questions.” American Society of Landscape Architects. < http://www.asla.org/FAQAnswer.aspx?CategoryTitle=%20About%20the%20American%20Society%20of%20Landscape%20Architects&Category=3146#DispID3116 > 17 Oct.

The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) began offering the Aquatic Facility Operator (AFO) certification in 1995.1 Governed by the National Certification Board, the AFO is one of four certifications offered, being joined by the Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP), the Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE), and the Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI).

• 1. “Certification Programs.” The National Recreation and Park Association. < http://www.nrpa.org/certification/ > 28 Aug. 2011.

The Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) is a nonprofit global organization that promotes and supports the education and development of children. They believe that every child in every nation should have access to quality education and this belief is highlighted in their tagline, “Bright futures for every child, every nation.”1 As a community of educators and child advocates, they utilize their shared knowledge, experience, and perspectives to evaluate and implement educational programs that will optimally enhance children's skills and abilities.

• 1. “About Us.” Association for Childhood Education International. < http://www.acei.org/about-us/about-us.html > 21 March 2012.

Many organizations and individuals have come together over the past 20 plus years because of a common interest in developing performance requirements for various types of public play equipment that will help reduce life threatening and permanent debilitating injuries to children from 6 months to 12 years of age. ASTM International (ASTM) has provided the opportunity for various interests to work together in a consensus based process to create industry best practice standards for the public good. It is a very open organization and welcomes anyone to join in the process. Each member has an opportunity to be as involved in these standards development processes as they choose.

Atomic Themeworks, led by Tyler Buchanan, designs, manufactures, and installs indoor contained play spaces and outdoor playgrounds. Beginning in 1994, they have been creating themed play systems for amusement centers, doctor's offices, museums, community centers, malls, restaurants, and retail outlets.1 They are headquartered in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, and they have clients in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East.

• 1. “Atomic Themeworks: Description.” Production HUB. < http://www.productionhub.com/directory/view.aspx?item=184016 > 7 Dec. 2009. and “Themed Environments.” Atomic Themeworks. < http://www.atomicthemeworks.com/products/themed-environments.html > 4 Feb. 2011.