The Ahlan Simsim initiative has transformed the lives of children and families through early childhood development services in its fifth year.

In 2017, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation unveiled the recipient of the inaugural 100&Change challenge. Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) were awarded a momentous $100 million grant to support their joint program Ahlan Simsim, which focused on providing support to the youngest children affected by the humanitarian crisis in the Syrian response region.

Five years ago on a snowy Chicago day, the International Rescue Committee and Sesame Workshop made a pitch for the MacArthur Foundation’s inaugural 100&Change award. The competition would provide a historic $100 million to a project striving for measurable progress against solving a critical problem of our time: the impact of the war in Syria on children’s futures.

Selected from over 600 applications, the LEGO Foundation’s Build a World of Play Challenge will fund five ground-breaking projects that will ensure children globally reach their full potential through play.

Selected from 600+ applications, the Build a World of Play Challenge recognises 10 finalists with bold ideas to solve the greatest problems facing early childhood development

Five awardees announced to drive an equitable future for children, families and communities around the world

Stronger Democracy Award Grants $22 Million to Three Organizations Improving Political Representation and Increasing Participation in the United States’ Democratic Process.

Launched on March 8, 2022—International Women’s Day—the Maternal & Infant Health Award, sponsored by The Patchwork Collective, is a $10 million grant competition to help improve maternal and infant health outcomes around the world.

Global competition launched in the LEGO® brand’s 90th year seeks transformational ideas to help solve the biggest global challenges facing birth to six-year-olds