Joan Evelyn Wolfsheimer Almon
August 6, 1944 – July 14, 2019
Joan Almon co-founded the Alliance for Childhood in 1999 and served as its director until 2012. She partially retired and became its director of programs until her death on July 14, 2019.
Joan Almon at the 2015 Digital Media and Developing Minds Conference Welcome Reception (Photo courtesy of Jessica Geilfuss)
Representing the Alliance for Childhood, she brought together professionals from many sectors…education, health, business, child welfare and many more to identify unaddressed issues contributing to the growing stress and strain in children’s lives - working collaboratively to strengthen childhood for all children.
Joan worked tirelessly as an advocate for children’s needs. She wrote and lectured extensively on child development, early education, the need to restore play for children and youth with a special focus on the need for play-based learning in preschools and kindergartens. She wrote many articles and chapters in books and co-authored the Alliance for Childhood report, Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School.
More recently, Joan compiled and edited Playing It Up-With Loose Parts, Playpods, and Adventure Playgrounds to highlight unique and impactful play opportunities across the U.S. One of her ongoing commitments was to seek out and support new or innovative programs, and to promote the amazing work of others engaged in efforts to improve the lives of children.
Joan treasured the opportunity to converse regularly with Alliance for Childhood partner organizations in Europe and South America - eager to gain new global perspectives on children's issues. Her concern for childhood on the global level never waned, and she worked to highlight the needs of children worldwide and the wonderful programs serving children.
Jessica Geilfuss and Joan Almon at the Encouraging Adventure talk; Wellesley College 2014
Joan was formerly a Waldorf early childhood educator who taught for 18 years in Maryland and then consulted with schools around the world. At the end of her life, she was working on a book to be called, Learning with Children.
Joan loved storytelling and puppetry which she frequently integrated into her talks on childhood, play, and creativity.