About Dr. Lauren McNamara

Schoolyards for Thought is led by Dr. Lauren McNamara, an educational and developmental research psychologist and Ashoka Fellow based at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Diversity Institute. Lauren has over 25 years of experience working with school boards in the U.S. and Canada. She is the Founder of Schoolyards For Thought and Recess Project Canada, collaborative projects that she started as part of her program of research on healthy schools. She holds a PhD in Educational Psychology from Simon Fraser University and an MS in Learning Sciences from Northwestern University. Her investigative work on the space of recess and children's mental health has resulted in both a national and global Position Statement on Recess, an invitation to the Royal Society of Canada’s Working Group on Children and Schools, a lifetime fellowship with Ashoka, award-winning professional development and policy resources, key research publications, and regular speaking invitations. 

Contact Lauren for 

• Media Opportunities 
• Consultancy - Design, Research, Advisory
• Keynote Speaker
• Professional Development 
• Policy Development 
• Partnership Opportunities
• Research Collaborations