Trending Now - LEGO Foundation Invests $97 Million to Support Learning in Conflict Areas
WHO:
ABC News - The LEGO Foundation, International Rescue Committee (IRC), David Miliband (IRC President), Sidsel Marie Kristensen (LEGO Foundation CEO), Sister Kasingye Secunda (teacher), Martin Omukuba (PlayMatters Project Director), Patty McIlreavy (Center for Disaster Philanthropy President and CEO).
WHAT:
Fast Company - The LEGO Foundation's investment will introduce more classrooms to the IRC-led program called PlayMatters, which offers training for teachers of 3-to 12-year-olds to integrate "playful learning" into lessons.
Fast Company - The LEGO Foundation recently announced a separate $30 million partnership with global funding collaborative Co-Impact to support locally led solutions to issues of learning and wellbeing among children impacted by conflict and crisis.
ABC News - The LEGO Foundation committed $97 million to expand IRC programs that use play to aid learning and recovery for children in conflict zones.
AP News - The five-year partnership aims to reach 5 million children across East Africa and the Middle East.
ABC News - The investment will introduce more classrooms to the IRC-led program called PlayMatters, which trains teachers of 3-to 12-year-olds in "playful learning."
AP News - The LEGO Foundation recently announced a separate $30 million partnership with Co-Impact to support locally led solutions for children impacted by conflict and crisis.
WHERE:
ABC News - The initiative will focus on children in Ethiopia, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and Uganda.
AP News - A primary school serving refugees in Nakivale settlement, western Uganda, is implementing the PlayMatters program.
WHEN:
AP News - The partnership was announced on a Wednesday.
AP News - The LEGO Foundation and IRC first collaborated in 2019 when the LEGO Foundation committed $100 million to “Ahlan Simsim.”
WHY:
AP News - David Miliband stated that the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo provides “a graphic demonstration of the short-sightedness of aid cuts for activities that are considered marginal."
ABC News - The funding aims to address the overlooked need for education among children affected by global conflicts, which are putting more children at risk.
AP News - David Miliband stated that children born in conflict have their childhood stolen from them, and giving them a bit of their childhood back is crucial.
HOW:
AP News - The LEGO Foundation provides flexible funding so that IRC can respond to the fluid nature of conflicts, allowing them to move grant money around in emergencies.
ABC News - The LEGO Foundation provides flexible funding to allow IRC to respond to the changing nature of conflicts.
AP News - The PlayMatters program integrates playful learning into lessons and helps tailor instruction to the needs of children traumatized by crises.
(UPDATED May 27, 2026 18:00 UTC)
The LEGO Foundation is making a significant impact by investing in the IRC-led program called PlayMatters, which will introduce more classrooms and provide training for teachers of young children to incorporate playful learning into their lessons. Additionally, the Foundation has announced a $30 million partnership with Co-Impact to support locally led solutions addressing learning and wellbeing for children affected by conflict and crisis. This flexible funding allows the IRC to adapt quickly to changing circumstances, especially in light of urgent needs highlighted by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo, which underscores the importance of sustained aid efforts.
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(UPDATED May 27, 2026 14:52 UTC)
The LEGO Foundation has committed an impressive $97 million to expand programs run by the International Rescue Committee that use play to support learning and recovery for children in conflict zones. This five-year partnership aims to reach five million children across East Africa and the Middle East, focusing on countries like Ethiopia, Lebanon, and Syria, while also introducing more classrooms through the PlayMatters program, which trains teachers in playful learning techniques. Additionally, the LEGO Foundation has announced a separate $30 million partnership with Co-Impact to support locally led solutions for children impacted by conflict and crisis.