Foundation
of wonder

Wondershop shares the We Foundation’s mission
– to ensure that every child, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to play, wonder and belong.

Every child has the right to a path that hasn't been predefined

We’re working towards a future where any child can find their own community through play and in doing so, become optimistic, engaged and resilient. We are dedicated to diminishing social exclusion and re-defining games as a means of creating supportive communities that fuel children’s ability to imagine and explore different futures.

Diminishing social exclusion

Social exclusion is often a complex intergenerational process where psychosocial and socioeconomic factors play a key role, and where the disadvantages experienced by a family are often directly mirrored in their children’s wellbeing.

We know that family circumstances affect children, but they don’t automatically determine a child’s future. Despite the strong link between a child’s home environment and their path to adulthood, research shows that this is not the only defining factor in a child’s future. The ability to see potential beyond one’s own background – envisioning futures that a child’s past has not predicted – can be encouraged by strengthening a child’s sense of meaning, achievement and belonging. This can be achieved with the help of supportive adults, collaborative peers, and meaningful communities and activities.

Re-defining the societal role of games

Chess, cards, video games – games are deeply rooted in human life across all ages. Much like movies, books and other forms of entertainment, games are an incredibly powerful storytelling medium, with one important exception: they offer an immersive experience in which the player is actively involved in making decisions, shaping their surroundings and their relationship with the other players and contributing to their own achievements and progress.

Games have the potential to achieve better learning outcomes than one-way media. At best, games can be both educational and enjoyable because they are intrinsically motivating, the environment is responsive, and they contain a complexity that allows for learning opportunities. This is why we trust in the life-changing potential of games to advance social inclusion.

About We Foundation

We Foundation was founded in 2015 by Supercell co-founders Ilkka Paananen and Mikko Kodisoja to diminish social exclusion among kids, youth and families. During its existence, the foundation has supported various projects that aim to increase inclusion and equality with 10M€ worth of grants. From 2020 onwards, the foundation continues its operations alongside Wondershop with the mission of making Wondershop’s games accessible and free-of-charge to those nonprofits where there’s community to be built or strengthened.