Donna Thompson, a physical education professional, founded the National Program for Playground Safety (NPPS) in 1995. With a grant from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Donna established the NPPS S.A.F.E. Program for playground safety: Supervision, Age appropriate design, Fall surfacing, and Equipment maintenance. As executive director, she continues their mission “to help the public plan, maintain, and renovate SAFE outdoor play environments for children.”
In 2014, Dr. Thompson and Dr. Hudson retired from the University of Northern Iowa, but remain very active in supporting the work of playground safety.
