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Pharrell Williams
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On Wednesday (October 9), Pharrell Williams alongside his philanthropic initiative YELLOW and The LEGO Group unveiled the Build the Change Playful Schools Challenge. This project encourages young minds to create their ideal educational environments using any materials they can gather, particularly LEGO bricks.
“In order to level the playing field through education and illuminate a brighter tomorrow, we require a surge of imaginative concepts, and no one possesses better ideas than children,” stated Williams in a news release. “Children are exceptionally clever, and by providing them with the necessary tools and resources to nurture their inquisitiveness, the possibilities are endless.”
He further expressed, “I’ve been envisioning for as long as I can remember, and curiosity ignites your imagination. I eagerly await to discover what the children participating in this initiative will devise, and I am confident that, in collaboration with The LEGO Group, we’ll all contribute to crafting change.”
This announcement coincided with a brief film that starred a LEGO incarnation of Williams, who reflected on realizing his unique learning approach compared to his peers in school. Be sure to check it out below.
The CEO of the LEGO Foundation, Sidsel Marie Kristensen, remarked, “The extraordinary ability of children lies in [play], as it allows them to learn while being actively engaged and empowered. For the LEGO Foundation, play-based learning is essential to ensure children flourish in life and become avid learners throughout their lives. Hence, we take immense pride in partnering with the LEGO Group and YELLOW to drive transformation.”
The Build the Change Playful Schools Challenge is part of multiple corporate partnerships that Williams and LEGO have unveiled leading up to the release of Piece By Piece, which premieres in theaters this Friday (October 11). They previously introduced a space-themed set containing 966 pieces along with two mini figures.