PlayMatters Project Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia

PlayMatters (PM) phase 2, is a 4-year education initiative (2026-2030) with a goal of improving the well-being and holistic learning outcomes of pre-primary and primary school aged children (ages 3-12+) for 500,000 children, including those who are affected by conflict and crisis, in Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Uganda by strengthening education systems to deliver quality education services using active teaching and learning through play. PM prioritizes strengthening education systems to be resilient and scaling impact by working with and through existing systems. PM has three main outcomes: Outcome 1: Education systems have increased capacity, uptake, and coordination of Learning through Play (LtP) as a teaching method; Outcome 2: School-aged children in refugee hosting and post-crisis recovery zones have increased access to quality learning opportunities in safe environments; Outcome 3: School-aged children's holistic development is protected in times of acute crisis. PlayMatters builds on years of implementation, learning, system co-creation, and integration, positioning the program for scale. It also contributes to the broader goal of the LEGO Foundation and IRC partnership: ensuring that children in crisis-affected priority countries receive holistic support to promote learning, development, and resilience. Through the generous support from the LEGO Foundation, to-date the project has reached 950,000 children in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda across 900 schools, surpassing its initial target of reaching 800,000 children with improved teaching and learning experiences. The project conducted a couple of research studies including a randomized control trial (Report available on request) in Ethiopia where our baseline-endline overall scores have shown significant improvements in literacy and numeracy. Additionally, the RCT revealed positive, medium and significant impacts on children’s wellbeing. Through PlayMatters, teachers have become drivers of sustainable change, while districts and national systems are increasingly institutionalizing Learning through Play through continuous professional development, strengthened school leadership, and deeper community ownership and participation.