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Lego is giving $1 million to the Boston Public Library
The funding will support early literacy programs, Lego clubs, and more. The company is relocating its U.S. headquarters from Connecticut to Boston.
Fresh off the heels of opening its glitzy new Boston office, Lego is giving $1 million to the Boston Public Library to help fund a series of new programs for children.
The $1 million grant is being hailed by executives as another marker of the growing ties between Boston and the world’s largest toy company.
“The transformative grant will expand what’s possible—introducing more playful, creative, and civic-minded experiences for young people across all of Boston’s neighborhoods,” BPL President David Leonard said in a statement.
The funding will be divided into three components: one aimed at children under the age of 9, another aimed at children between 9 and 13, and a third that focuses on staffing and training.
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For children 9 and under, the grant will fund the creation of 12,000 new “parent literacy kits” that include multilingual resources, books, and Lego bricks designed for young children. These kits will be distributed to parents through hospitals and other community groups. The BPL is relaunching its “1,000 books before kindergarten” campaign, which will now utilize “digital tracking tools” and content from Lego’s Learning Through Play initiative. Ten multilingual “parent ambassadors” will be trained to lead story times throughout Boston to help families with early learning.
For children between the ages of 9 and 13, some of the grant money will be used to expand Lego clubs at more than 11 BPL branches. These clubs will “incorporate civic, STEM, and storytelling activities” and be led by Lego employee volunteers. Other parts of the grant funding will be used for a series of 20 interactive events featuring authors and musicians, as well as a “mural challenge.” This summer, kids will be able to enter a design competition focused on revitalizing public spaces. It will culminate in a mural at the BPL Central Library in Copley Square.
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Finally, the grant will allow the BPL to invest in librarians, evaluators, and musicians-in-residence across its system. They will be trained in using Lego resources in their work.
The grant will help the library reach 150,000 children over two years. It is projected to generate more than 21,000 new library card signups and more than 600,000 checkouts of early literacy books, according to the BPL.
“By embedding learning through play into everything we do—from early literacy to tween engagement—we’re equipping Boston’s young people with the tools to grow as readers, creators, and active members of their communities,” Angela Veizaga, chief of youth and family engagement at the BPL, said in a statement.
Earlier this month, Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attended a ribbon cutting marking the official opening of Lego’s U.S. headquarters. Located at 1001 Boylston St., the office spans six floors and about 157,000 square feet. It is located in the new 20-story tower over the Mass. Pike that also houses the corporate offices of CarGurus.
Lego is moving its U.S. headquarters to Boston from Enfield, Conn. Lego executives say the move to Boston will allow it to attract more top-tier talent than in Connecticut.
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