Kampala, Uganda – 25 August 2026: The launch of PlayMatters 3.0 in Uganda was more than the beginning of a new project phase. It was a renewed demonstration of what can happen when government, educators, communities and development partners come together around a shared ambition: ensuring that children experience meaningful, inclusive and engaging learning.

Held under the theme “Building on Evidence and Strengthening Partnerships to Scale Learning through Play across Uganda’s Education System,” the national launch brought together stakeholders from the Ministry of Education and Sports, PlayMatters consrtium partners - International Rescue Committee, Plan International Uganda, WarChild Alliance and the National Partners and the development partner organisations who have contributed to the PlayMatters journey and those who will shape its next chapter.

At the heart of the discussions was a clear message: scaling learning through play cannot be achieved by one organisation or project alone. It requires a strong ecosystem of partners working together, with government leadership and ownership at the centre.

Reflecting on the journey from PlayMatters 1.0 and 2.0, consortium leaders noted the significant shift taking place under 3.0.

Previous phases focused on introducing, testing and demonstrating learning through play, particularly in refugee-hosting and host communities. The experience generated evidence that learning through play can work across different contexts and resource settings when the right systems and support are in place.

PlayMatters 3.0 now seeks to build on that foundation by strengthening the wider education ecosystem. This means moving beyond a model where learning through play is associated primarily with an individual project, towards an approach that can become part of how teaching and learning happens within Uganda's education system.

The expanded partnership recognises that organisations working close to schools, teachers, children and communities bring essential contextual knowledge and capacity to the scale-up journey.

Government engagement at the centre

The Assistant Commissioner - Mr Max Okiror from the Teacher Education and Training Department (TETD)- Ministry of Education and Sports reflected on the longstanding partnership with PlayMatters and affirmed the Ministry's commitment to taking the work further. He recognised that the experience from PlayMatters 1.0 and 2.0 has generated practical lessons and evidence that can inform teacher education, professional development and classroom practice nationally.

This commitment was reinforced to use evidence and data from PlayMatters to strengthen quality assurance and translate lessons from the programme into system-level practice and policy, and to embed within existing teacher education, continuous professional development, mentoring and teacher support systems.

For PlayMatters, this represents an important evolution in engagement: government is not simply participating in programme activities, but increasingly becoming a partner in shaping how learning through play can be sustained and scaled.

National partners taking the lead

The launch also showcased the growing role of national partners in the PlayMatters partnership.

Under 3.0, national partners are taking on a stronger role in implementation, working closely with district governments, teacher training institutions and schools. The partners - ELECU, Palm Corps, Labe, CEFORD, YSAT, Tumaini, and RICE shared their commitment to contributing to the next phase.

As the partnership expands, the ambition is not simply to have more organisations implementing activities. It is to build a stronger network of organisations and institutions that can collectively support the sustainability and scale of learning through play.

Engagement through play

During an interactive session, participants used LEGO bricks to group themselves around different fruits, discuss their choices and present their ideas. The exercise demonstrated how a simple, hands-on activity can create opportunities for interaction, communication, collaboration and learning for the children.  

The activity offered a practical reminder that learning through play is not simply about making lessons entertaining. It is about creating purposeful opportunities for learners to participate, think, communicate, collaborate and apply knowledge.

A shared commitment to the next chapter

The launch concluded with a symbolic signing on a commitment board to partnership, bringing representatives together to affirm their collective commitment to PlayMatters 3.0.

The journey ahead will require continued dialogue, coordination, learning and shared accountability. But the message from the launch was clear: the future of learning through play in Uganda will be built through partnership.