“…When you cultivate that spark, when you're very, very small, in things like play and learning through play, you learn how to get along with others, you learn more about yourself and where your limits are. And you do it in a safe environment,” says LEGO Foundation Chief Impact Officer Sarah Bouchie.

“And importantly, it's joyful.”

We know that at one point during the pandemic, almost every child in the world was out of school. And we know that there are millions of them who still aren’t back.

During the lockdowns, the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in partnership with the LEGO Foundation worked with teachers, families and communities in Kenya to create a series of play kits – activity posters and supporting resources – to help parents engage their children in meaningful and joyful learning experiences at home.

Building on the experience and knowledge gained through these play kits, AKF and the LEGO Foundation are now working through Schools2030 to support teachers, not just in East Africa but in 10 countries across the world, to design learning innovations that are child-centred, joyful, engaging, collaborative and meaningful.

As AKF Global Director of Institute Partnerships Dr Matt Reed says:

“We have millions and millions and millions of children out there with enormous potential, that with just the right kind of engagement, the right kind of encouragement, the right kind of opportunity, they'll be able to transform their own lives.”