ChangeX, the community engagement platform, has launched a new $130,000 play-focused community fund, with support from the LEGO Foundation, to empower communities across the US to create more playful experiences for children.
The LEGO Foundation is dedicated to ensuring children globally can learn through play, develop critical skills and reach their full potential. Its partnership with ChangeX is designed to activate more learning through play projects in communities around the world, to inspire more people to champion the power of play, and to scale proven play ideas.
This new fund is the third United States Community Play Fund, building on the success of previous funds in 2022 and 2023. It is one of seven play funds that ChangeX and the LEGO Foundation are launching this summer, and follows the recent launch of a dedicated fund to celebrate the first ever International Day of Play on June 11.
To date, ChangeX has launched 25 community play funds across 9 countries, including the US, with the LEGO Foundation’s support, funding 1,097 community play projects and benefitting almost 162,000 children. A tenth country, Vietnam, will be added to the partnership this year. Dr. Kim D. Harris, a yoga teacher from Broward County, Florida, received funding for a yoga-themed Playing with Trust project, 1-2-3 Go Yoga. She said: “It was a fantastic experience and a great opportunity to build capacity for community.
The children had never participated in anything like this and ate up the experience with joy and laughter.” The new US Community Play Fund offers funding for anyone who wants to transform their community through play, including non-profits, community groups, schools, parents and passionate individuals. It will support communities to bring an existing play idea – such as creating a garden for children to learn or spreading joy through books – to life in their neighborhood. Niamh McKenna, co-founder and head of impact at ChangeX, said:
“Our ongoing partnership with the LEGO Foundation is empowering communities across the US to enrich children’s lives through play. Building on our track record of impact across 9 countries, we’re thrilled to offer funding to passionate changemakers eager to make a playful difference in their communities. We want to ensure that as many children as possible have the opportunity to develop essential skills by learning through play.”
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