The Brookings Institution announced that the Center for Universal Education (CUE) in its Global Economy and Development program has received a four-year, $24 million grant from the LEGO Foundation.

The largest grant in the Brookings Institution’s history will support CUE’s strategic vision focused on holistic education, locally defined priorities, and deep collaboration with partners. The funding will enable CUE to expand its network of participants across education ecosystems to underrepresented areas, specifically in the Global South, and also will support partner organizations in co-designing research priorities.

“In the quest for universal social-economic prosperity, the importance of education and skills development cannot be overstated,” said Brahima S. Coulibaly, vice president of Brookings’ global economy and development program. “We are very grateful for this gift, which will allow our experts in education to help inform and support local efforts at systems transformation.”

“Children across the world are facing a confluence of challenges, from economic, social to environmental, hindering their potential to learn,” said Netsanet Belay, LEGO Foundation’s vice president and head of advocacy, communications, and partnerships. “The LEGO Foundation is proud to support the Center for Universal Education to build a community of civil society organizations who could help address some of these challenges.”

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