Celebrating One Year in Office: A Journey of Reflections and Strengthening our Foundation

One year ago, I was in the first weeks in my role as CEO of the The LEGO Foundation . Even though I had served on the Board of Directors since 2020, it is clear looking back at the past 12 months that it has been a year of deeper learning for me. And for us as an organisation, we have identified exactly how we can help create a sustainable and lasting impact on the lives of children around the world with the uniqueness of learning through play.

During this period of fundamental learning about our work I have experienced great support from my LEGO Foundation colleagues, our Board of Directors, the wider LEGO Ecosystem, and not least learned from the many great partners and people I’ve met this past year. In this article, I want to share a bit more about our accomplishments, our discoveries, and what is ahead for the LEGO Foundation and our joint effort in creating a world of learning through play.

As the new CEO in early 2023, my first task was to coordinate our internal efforts to establish the Foundation of the Foundation. This step aimed to maximize our impact, focusing on the holistic development of children through joyful, engaging, and meaningful play-based learning experiences. Our belief in this approach remains unchanged. Through this, we outlined our key principles, emphasizing our works will focus on children from birth to 12, learning through play continuing as our core DNA, and the importance of being context-driven and with a high focus on creating real impact for children and learn from activities to enhance and improve our future work – all based on data and evidence. This reflection period also led us to realize the dual role of the LEGO Foundation: first and foremost, as a grant maker funding playful learning activities and programmes, and as an enabler, gathering and providing knowledge about learning through play and supporting the different actors and partners to enable the environment for their works and learn from the children we support. I am very pleased to see that this effort is paying off with a clearer and focused strategy for our organisation, with defined programmes, interventions, and approaches, aligning with the broader LEGO Ecosystem and the vision of a sustainable future for generations to come.

This past year has encouraged me to look beyond my own experiences and embrace the diverse realities that exist, supporting and deepening my comprehension of our philanthropic work and the particularities of how the LEGO Foundation can make a meaningful difference. The power of learning through play as our DNA opens a world of possibilities for children’s holistic development, across classrooms, family circles, psycho-social learning, fostering creativity and resilience in the most different contexts. We have reinforced our insistence that placing the child at the centre of our efforts is the most important thing we can do: supporting them, listening to them, learning from them. This, I firmly believe, is a part of our collective legacy: a commitment to ensuring that our future generations feel empowered to contribute meaningfully to their communities and are equipped with skills and knowledge to face the challenges of tomorrow.

It has been a privilege to meet with and learn from our many partners. Amazing things can happen when we work together, in the true spirit of collaboration. Thank you for providing me with food for thought, challenging me with different perspectives, and helping me in shaping my vision of how we can be impactful in the work that we do. Likewise, I would like to reflect on how engaging with so many LEGO Foundation colleagues has contributed to a real and embedded understanding of the power of learning through play to unlock the potential in every child. My passionate colleagues work tirelessly to support learning and education outcomes for children, they care, they bring fun to the work environment, they awake curiosity and creativity in each and all of us, and deliver high quality tasks to the world. These LEGO values, present in our daily lives, support a great development of trust in our work and in the idea that we can promote change together.

Looking ahead, I am filled with optimism and enthusiasm for the future of the LEGO Foundation. As I celebrate one year in office, I am inspired by the remarkable progress we have made and the incredible potential that lies ahead. I invite you all to keep your engagement, collaboration, partnership, and curiosity about what we can do together to support a world where every child has the opportunity to play, learn, and thrive. Learning through play remains the strong key for this future, and it is up to us to use it to unlock a world full of possibilities. Children are our role models, and they deserve our greatest efforts!

Here is my ‘thank you’ for a great first year, and my excitement to the many things we will accomplish together in the years to come.

Sidsel