The Global Fund for Children has announced a $5 million gift from the LEGO Foundation in support of a new initiative to help children overcome COVID-related education disruption.

The Partnership to Educate All Kids (PEAK) will provide grants and capacity development to at least 50 community-based organizations in Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa, and South Asia. PEAK has the potential to support the learning and development of up to 100,000 children ages 6 to 12 from marginalized communities.

To that end, PEAK will enable local organizations to sustain or expand their work ensuring children are able to access education and return to classrooms; addressing learning gaps; offering services such as literacy programs, after-school tutoring, and digital classrooms; supporting emotional and social well-being; and advocating for children who have been shut out of the education system. It also will provide local organizations with capacity development to integrate learning through play into their educational activities.

“We are at a transformational moment for educational systems everywhere,” said  LEGO Foundation CEO Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen. “Together we need to make a leap in playful learning, creating a future that promotes inclusive education, lifelong learning opportunities for all children, and where holistic skills and innovation are central.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/hadynyah)