LEGO Foundation commits $97M to education partnerships to expand play-based learning in conflict zones

The LEGO Foundation has announced a $97 million, five-year commitment to the International Rescue Committee to expand play-based learning programs for children affected by conflict across East Africa and the Middle East. The partnership aims to reach 5 million children through IRC’s PlayMatters initiative, which trains educators to integrate trauma-informed, play-centered learning into classrooms serving displaced and vulnerable students. The flexible funding model allows IRC to rapidly shift resources as conflicts evolve in countries including Sudan, Syria, Uganda and Lebanon. The collaboration builds on the organizations’ earlier $100 million Ahlan Simsim initiative–a collaboration with Sesame Workshop and the IRC–and comes as global humanitarian aid cuts intensify pressure on education and child-development programs in crisis zones.