The International Rescue Committee (IRC), together with consortium partners Plan International and War Child Alliance, and with support from the LEGO Foundation, is launching PlayMatters 3.0, the next phase of a flagship education initiative supporting teachers improve holistic learning and wellbeing through Learning through Play, for pre-primary and primary school children.
Since its launch, PlayMatters has worked alongside Ministries of Education, teachers, school leaders, and communities across East Africa to strengthen the quality of teaching and learning in challenging contexts. The program has reached more than 984,000 children, surpassing its initial target of 800,000, and supported implementation in over 950 schools across Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia.
Learning through Play is an active teaching approach that helps teachers deliver the existing curriculum through engaging, child-centered, and participatory methods that support children’s learning, wellbeing, and active participation in the classroom.
“PlayMatters 3.0 reflects a shift from demonstrating what works to supporting how it can be embedded and sustained at scale,’’ said Martin Omukuba, PlayMatters Project Director. “By collaborating with and strengthening national education systems, supporting teachers, and building on the evidence from the region, this next phase aims to strengthen how Learning through Play can reach more children with access to engaging learning environments.”
Rather than introducing a parallel curriculum, PlayMatters works within existing national education systems, helping teachers integrate playful and inclusive approaches into everyday classroom practice. Across countries, the program has supported co-creation of teaching and learning resources with Ministries of Education and education actors, enabling Learning through Play approaches to be adapted to local contexts and delivered using locally available materials.
New elements under PlayMatters 3.0 include strengthened teacher professional development pathways, deeper integration of Learning through Play into existing systems and structures, and the introduction of a crisis modifier to support more flexible education responses during climate shocks, conflict, and other disruptions affecting children and schools.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, develop, and thrive, even in the most challenging circumstances. Through this partnership, we are investing not only in children’s learning today, but in stronger education systems and more resilient communities for the future,’’ said Mary Winters, Senior Program Manager at the LEGO Foundation.
Emerging evidence from the program is also helping build the case for scale. In Ethiopia, findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial show PlayMatters achieved significant improvements in children’s numeracy, literacy and socio-emotional learning skills. It achieved 2X the impacts on children’s socio-emotional learning outcomes, 1.5X the impact on numeracy, and significant improvements on literacy, while showing cost-effectiveness compared to similar interventions.
Similar findings from Uganda show Learning through Play achieving gains in teachers in classroom practice, teacher-pupil relationships, and wellbeing. These results reinforce the growing evidence that Learning through Play can improve both the quality of teaching and children’s learning experiences.
PlayMatters has also contributed to longer-term sustainability through investments in teacher training, continuous professional development, and system integration. In Tanzania, for example, a Learning through Play module has been launched on the Tanzania Institute of Education’s e-learning platform, creating a pathway for wider access to teacher development and continued uptake beyond direct project support. This reflects a broader shift in the program from delivery alone toward strengthening the systems, institutions, and actors that can sustain Learning through Play.
PlayMatters 3.0 will build on collaboration between Ministries of Education, teachers, communities, and partners to strengthen more resilient, inclusive, and joyful learning environments for children.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Rescue Committee (IRC) .
