Tech, Education, Impact & Ethics

As someone who’s spent many joyful hours playing LEGO with my daughters and Scratch storytelling with my nieces and nephews, I’ve long been a fan of both. So, it was especially meaningful for me to serve as Director of the partnership between the LEGO Foundation and the Scratch Foundation—a collaboration grounded in a shared belief: that all children, regardless of where they live, should have the opportunity to be creators—not just consumers—of technology.

Scratch is much more than a platform for learning to code. It’s a creative ecosystem where children can design interactive stories, games, and animations—while building essential skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, and digital confidence. Through play and experimentation, children begin to see themselves as capable, imaginative, and technically skilled—preparing them to navigate and shape the digital future.

This is particularly powerful for children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). With a low-bandwidth version, multilingual support, and a focus on visual programming, Scratch is designed with accessibility in mind. It lowers the barriers to digital participation and invites children in underserved settings to engage with tech in a playful, meaningful way.

But what makes Scratch truly unique is its global online community, where millions of young people share projects, comment on each other’s work, and collaborate creatively. It’s one of the largest safe online spaces for children—and one that prioritizes respect, inclusion, and well-being. Research from the Scratch Team (2023) shows that when children are given creative freedom in a supportive environment, they experience higher levels of engagement, confidence, and social connection.

This sense of belonging and shared creativity is vital. For children who may not see themselves reflected in mainstream tech spaces—or who lack access to advanced tools—Scratch offers an inclusive gateway. It says: your ideas matter, your creativity is valued, and you belong here.

Through our partnership, we’ve worked to support local organizations in adapting and scaling Scratch in their communities, ensuring that the platform remains relevant, playful, and culturally resonant. Whether in a rural school in Kenya or an after-school club in Brazil, Scratch helps children play, think, and code their way into new possibilities.

At its heart, Scratch nurtures a generation of young creators who are not only digitally fluent, but also confident, collaborative, and curious—exactly the kind of citizens the future needs.