is essential for unlocking creativity, sparking curiosity, and fostering innovation.
PLAY
Full
is about fulfillment that comes from embracing and expressing our authentic selves.
Ground
is the foundation that holds us as we play, explore, and belong.
PHILOSOPHY
PLAY: Curiosity & Inspiration
Play is the spark that ignites discovery. Curiosity and inspiration guide students to explore the unknown, experiment with ideas, and embrace challenges. By approaching learning as a creative act, students uncover passions and perspectives that expand their understanding of themselves and the world.
​
FULL: Be Real, But Not Realistic
Fullness comes from embracing who we truly are and pursuing what resonates with our hearts. We encourage students to dream boldly, even when goals seem unconventional or uncertain. By giving themselves permission to explore without limits, students experience growth, fulfillment, and the courage to shape their own path.
​
GROUND: Collaboration & Community
Ground provides a foundation of trust, connection, and belonging. Our community of students, mentors, and families supports one another, building an environment where ideas can take root, creativity can flourish, and everyone feels empowered to contribute and grow.​​
Story
Mai Ryuno is an interdisciplinary artist and educator originally from Fukuoka, Japan. She pursued her dream of becoming an artist in the United States, earning a BA in English in Kyoto and an MFA in printmaking from the San Francisco Art Institute, where she also taught youth and adult programs. These experiences laid the foundation for her lifelong focus on community-based, participatory art and creative education.
​
Her artistic practice blends site-specific installations and interactive performances, inviting audiences to engage with everyday life—cooking, eating, and connecting. This focus on human connection and shared experience inspired Play Full Ground, which began as a one-night community art exhibit in 2017 and evolved into a creative learning studio in Monterey, CA.
​
After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Tohoku, Japan, Mai had the opportunity to work with high school students as a lead instructor, teaching Y-PLAN at the Center for Cities + Schools at UC Berkeley. Guiding youth to identify community challenges and design creative solutions revealed how project-based, socially engaged learning could empower students to make meaningful contributions while developing critical thinking, collaboration, and self-expression. This experience became a core inspiration for the microschool model of Play Full Ground.
​
Through her work with diverse educational programs and international collaborations, Mai has developed a philosophy that values curiosity, experimentation, and collaboration as essential tools for learning and growth.
Today, she brings this vision to Play Full Ground, creating a space where students are trusted, supported, and inspired to be artists of their own lives, cultivating creativity, resilience, and community.
