Sesame Workshop: Four Decades of Teaching Children Through Television and More

Sesame Workshop is the non-profit educational organization behind the beloved kids' television program Sesame Street, as well as a number of other projects that bring lessons in literacy and numeracy, health and wellness, emotional well-being, and respect and understanding to children in more than 150 countries.

Sesame Workshop's mission is to help children everywhere reach their highest potential by using the educational power of media. What began as a simple yet revolutionary idea to teach kids in the United States through television is now a global educational phenomenon expanding beyond television and reaching millions of children worldwide. Sesame Workshop's international programs are created in collaboration with local educators, puppeteers, and advisors to tailor to the unique needs of children and their culture. The non-profit also carries out several on-the-ground outreach efforts to bring its lessons directly to vulnerable communities. Regardless of location, Sesame Workshop combines a curriculum that addresses children's developmental needs with the sophisticated use of media and plenty of fun.

One of Sesame Workshop's international projects is Galli Galli Sim Sim, the locally produced version of Sesame Street in India. To expand its reach, Galli Galli Sim Sim partners with non-profit child care centers to deliver early childhood education to children from low-income families. Galli Galli Sim Sim also makes house calls using a repurposed vegetable cart outfitted with a television and DVD player so that local teachers can bring the program to kids in urban slums.

In the United States, Sesame Workshop has created Families Stand Together, a bilingual multimedia kit for families facing financial challenges. Designed to bring kids and parents together as they deal with unemployment and economic uncertainty, the kit contains educational DVDs, activities, storybooks, and a caregiver's handbook filled with advice about answering children's questions, practical ways to stay afloat, and spending time as a family.