SESAME WORKSHOP

CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF EDUCATIONAL MEDIA SESAME WORKSHOP CREATES EDUCATIONAL CONTENT FOR PRESCHOOL CHILDREN AND DISTRIBUTES THAT CONTENT IN THE U.S. AND AROUND THE WORLD, ACROSS VARIOUS MEDIA PLATFORMS INCLUDING TELEVISION, DIGITAL STREAMING, ONLINE, RADIO, PRINT, MOBILE, AND HOME ENTERTAINMENT. THE CONTENT FOLLOWS A WHOLE CHILD CURRICULUM AND IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE CURRENT EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, AND HEALTH NEEDS YOUNG CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY THOSE VULNERABLE TO EQUAL AND EARLY ACCESS TO PRESCHOOL LEARNING. SESAME WORKSHOP IS MOST WELL-KNOWN FOR ITS FLAGSHIP EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM "SESAME STREET." SESAME STREET'S SEASON 55 CURRICULUM FOCUSES ON HELPING CHILDREN DEVELOP FOUNDATIONAL EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING SKILLS, IN PARTICULAR INCREASING THEIR (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O) EMOTIONAL VOCABULARY. THE STORY NARRATIVES SUPPORT THE NOTICING AND NAMING EMOTIONS, VALIDATING EMOTIONS, AND MODELING A STRATEGY TO REDUCE THE EMOTION SO NOT TO IMPEDE WITH THE CHILD'S ACTIVITIES. AND DO SO IN CELEBRATION OF THEIR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY. SEASON 56 EXTENDS PRESCHOOLERS UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR EMOTIONS AND APPLIES THEIR EMOTIONAL REGULATION SKILLS TO SOLVE SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN ORDER TO SOLVE CONFLICTS WITH PROSOCIAL BEHAVIORS AND INCREASE THEIR SKILLS IN: PERSPECTIVE TAKING, LISTENING, COOPERATION, COLLABORATION, SHARING, AND TURN-TAKING ALL IN SERVICE OF DEVELOPING, MAINTAINING, AND REPAIRING FRIENDSHIPS. THESE STORIES SUPPORT CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT OF A HEALTHY AND POSITIVE SENSE OF WHO THEY ARE, DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS, AND MODEL ACTING WITH KINDNESS, FAIRNESS, AND RESPECT. SESAME STREET IS DRIVEN BY A SCHOOL READINESS CURRICULUM WHICH IS TAUGHT THROUGH A PRESCHOOL FRIENDLY TOPIC. THE SHOW CURRENTLY BROADCASTS MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY IN THE U.S. ON THE PUBLIC BROADCASTING SERVICE (PBS), WHICH IS AVAILABLE FOR FREE IN 98% OF HOUSEHOLDS WITH TELEVISIONS. IN ADDITION TO ITS PRESENCE ON PBS AND OTHER TELEVISION AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS, "SESAME STREET" VIDEOS, INTERACTIVE GAMES AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL CONTENT ARE AVAILABLE FREE OF CHARGE FOR USERS ON WWW.SESAMESTREET.ORG, WWW.PBSKIDS.ORG AND WWW.YOUTUBE.COM. INCLUDING ITS DISTRIBUTION ON BROADCAST, STREAMING VOD AND CABLE TV AND ITS PRESENCE ON VARIOUS DIGITAL PLATFORMS. "SESAME STREET" REACHES 11.6 MILLION KIDS AGES 0-8 IN THE U.S. ON A MONTHLY BASIS. ITS CONTINUED POPULARITY PLACES IT AS THE #1 KIDS SHOW ON PBS LINEAR TV FROM JANUARY TO JUNE 2025, REACHING 2.7 MILLION US HOUSEHOLDS RECEIVING 17 MILLION VIEWS. ON HBO MAX IN THE US, SESAME STREET RECEIVED 58 MILLION VIEWS AND WAS WATCHED FOR 24 MILLION HOURS IN FISCAL YEAR 2025. SESAME STREET'S FREE YOUTUBE CHANNEL RECEIVED OVER 1.4 BILLION VIEWS DOMESTICALLY IN FISCAL YEAR 2025 (AND 3.3 BILLION VIEWS WORLDWIDE). RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT CHILDREN WHO WATCH "SESAME STREET" CONSISTENTLY PERFORM BETTER ACADEMICALLY AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL AND HAVE MORE DEVELOPED SOCIAL SKILLS."SESAME STREET" IS ALSO SEEN IN OVER 150 COUNTRIES THROUGH DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS WITH LOCAL PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL BROADCASTERS. IN ADDITION, LOCAL ADAPTATIONS OF "SESAME STREET" ARE PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED IN GERMANY, MIDDLE EAST NORTH AFRICA, THE NETHERLANDS, LATIN AMERICA, SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA, BANGLADESH, SOMALIA, ETHIOPIA AND AFGHANISTAN. THE PROGRAM REACHES 150 MILLION KIDS ON A WORLDWIDE BASIS.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE PLAY TO LEARN: LAUNCHED IN 2019 AND LED BY SESAME WORKSHOP IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH BRAC, THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC), AND NYU GLOBAL TIES FOR CHILDREN, PLAY TO LEARN (PTL) SET OUT TO TRANSFORM HOW THE HUMANITARIAN SECTOR APPROACHES EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN CRISIS AND CONFLICT SETTINGS. BY BLENDING DIRECT SERVICES, MASS MEDIA, RIGOROUS RESEARCH, AND STRATEGIC ADVOCACY, THE CONSORTIUM WORKED TO PLACE YOUNG CHILDREN AT THE CENTER OF HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE. OVER SIX YEARS, PLAY TO LEARN REACHED 3,692,465 CHILDREN, CAREGIVERS, AND FACILITATORS ACROSS SIX COUNTRIES - FROM ROHINGYA REFUGEE CAMPS IN BANGLADESH TO URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST. (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)IN THE PROGRAM'S FINAL YEAR, 1,191,174 PEOPLE WERE REACHED.AS THE PROGRAM CONCLUDED, ISI PRIORITIZED THE DISSEMINATION OF EVIDENCE AND TOOLS TO BENEFIT THE BROADER HUMANITARIAN FIELD. KEY RESOURCES DEVELOPED INCLUDE THE WATCH, PLAY, LEARN TOOLKIT - AN ADAPTABLE RESOURCE PACKAGE ENABLING FRONTLINE ECD PRACTITIONERS ACROSS SECTORS (PROTECTION, HEALTH, NUTRITION) TO INTEGRATE EVIDENCE-BASED PLAY PROGRAMMING INTO EXISTING WORK - AND THE PLAY TO LEARN RESOURCE HUB, A PLATFORM SHARING PROGRAM AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES, CONTENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS FROM BANGLADESH, LEBANON, JORDAN, AND BEYOND. THESE RESOURCES WERE SHARED AT EVENTS INCLUDING THE "PLAY WITH A PURPOSE" ROADSHOW IN BANGLADESH IN JANUARY 2025, WHERE 180 POLICYMAKERS, UN AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES, AND INGO LEADERS ENGAGED WITH SIX YEARS OF PLAY TO LEARN EVIDENCE, DISCUSSED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUSTAINING THE MODEL'S IMPACT, AND AND EXPLORED FIRSTHAND THE MATERIALS AND MODELS DEVELOPED OVER SIX YEARS OF IMPLEMENTATION.AHLAN SIMSIM-IRAQ: DURING YEAR 4 OF THE AHLAN SIMSIM-IRAQ PROJECT, SESAME WORKSHOP ADVANCED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT ACROSS SIX GOVERNORATES IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH USAID, IRAQ'S MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, AND NGO AND PRODUCTION PARTNERS. THE PROGRAM PRIORITIZED ACCESS FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN - INCLUDING DISPLACED POPULATIONS AND MINORITY GROUPS - WITH KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT WEIGHTED TOWARD CHILDREN WITH LOWER IDELA BASELINE SCORES.FEMALE EDUCATORS RECEIVED TRAINING IN EMERGENT LITERACY, NUMERACY, AND ANTI-BIAS PRACTICES. PARENT ENGAGEMENT DEEPENED THROUGH PTA COMMITTEES AND CAREGIVER SESSIONS CENTERED ON LEARNING-THROUGH-PLAY. YOUTH HUBS PROVIDED SAFE SPACES FOR SKILL-BUILDING AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION, WITH YOUNG PEOPLE GAINING SOFT SKILLS AND PRODUCING ORIGINAL FILMMAKING PROJECTS. CONTENT PRODUCTION EXPANDED TO INCLUDE NEW VIDEOS FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND FATHERS, AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS WORKED TO INTEGRATE AHLAN SIMSIM MATERIALS INTO GOVERNMENTAL KINDERGARTEN CURRICULA - A CRITICAL STEP TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY INDEPENDENT OF PROJECT FUNDING.THE PROGRAM CONCLUDED IN FY25 FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF USAID FUNDING. CLOSE-OUT WAS MANAGED RESPONSIBLY AND TRANSPARENTLY: STAFF DEMOBILIZATION COMPLIED WITH IRAQI LABOR LAW, ASSETS WERE DONATED TO LOCAL NGOS, AND PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION WAS COMPREHENSIVELY ARCHIVED. OVER FOUR YEARS, AHLAN SIMSIM DEMONSTRATED THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF CULTURALLY TAILORED PROGRAMMING IN IRAQ - USING BELOVED CHARACTERS, BASMA AND JAD, TO PROMOTE EMPATHY, DIVERSITY, AND RESILIENCE - AND LEAVES A LASTING FOUNDATION FOR EARLY LEARNING AS A MEANS OF HEALING AND CONNECTION IN COMMUNITIES DEEPLY AFFECTED BY DISPLACEMENT AND CONFLICT.WELCOME SESAME: INCLUSION AND BELONGING FOR DISPLACED LEARNERS: WELCOME SESAME, SUPPORTED BY THE HILTON FOUNDATION, IS A GLOBAL SOCIAL COHESION INITIATIVE DELIVERING A 16-SESSION INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN COMMUNITIES TRANSFORMED BY MIGRATION. OPERATING IN UGANDA, COLOMBIA, AND ECUADOR, THE PROGRAM ADDRESSES SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL), POSITIVE IDENTITY, AND SENSE OF BELONGING THROUGH BOTH PRINT AND MEDIA CONTENT.IN FY25, THE PROGRAM COMPLETED ITS SECOND IMPLEMENTATION CYCLE AND LAUNCHED ITS THIRD. THE SECOND CYCLE REACHED 5,236 CHILDREN, 4,016 GUARDIANS, AND 218 EDUCATORS ACROSS 185 CLASSROOMS. MONITORING DATA SHOWED MEANINGFUL EDUCATOR GROWTH IN SEL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE, INCLUDING STRONGER IDENTIFICATION OF POSITIVE EMOTION-REGULATION STRATEGIES AND INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN FOSTERING INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS.AS THE PROGRAM ENTERED ITS THIRD AND FINAL IMPLEMENTATION CYCLE IN JANUARY 2025, SESAME WORKSHOP AND PARTNERS DEEPENED ENGAGEMENT WITH MINISTRIES OF EDUCATION IN ALL THREE COUNTRIES AND COMMITTED TO SCALING TO ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS. THROUGH ITERATIVE REFINEMENT AND STRONG LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS, WELCOME SESAME IS BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE, ADAPTABLE SEL MODEL THAT STRENGTHENS EARLY LEARNING ECOSYSTEMS ACROSS DIVERSE CRISIS-AFFECTED CONTEXTS.TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE: IN FY25, SESAME WORKSHOP LAUNCHED THE UKRAINE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE COUNTRY'S ECD WORKFORCE AMID PROTRACTED CONFLICT AND WIDESPREAD DISRUPTION TO EDUCATION. THE PROGRAM EQUIPS ASPIRING EDUCATORS WITH ROBUST SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, INCLUSIVE, AND PLAY-BASED TEACHING SKILLS ALIGNED WITH UKRAINE'S NATIONAL EDUCATION PRIORITIES.TO GROUND THE PROGRAM IN REAL NEED, SESAME CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT ENGAGING 678 SURVEY RESPONDENTS AND 15 IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS TO IDENTIFY URGENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GAPS. A CURRICULUM ADVISORY CONVENING BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS IN LVIV, PRODUCING A VALIDATED DRAFT FRAMEWORK FOR A THREE-MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM TO BE FINALIZED AND IMPLEMENTED IN FY26. SESAME HAS FORMALIZED A PARTNERSHIP WITH IZMAIL UNIVERSITY AND IS ACTIVELY EXPANDING TO ADDITIONAL UNIVERSITIES TO SUPPORT REGIONAL ROLLOUT AND LONG-TERM INSTITUTIONAL ADOPTION OF THE MODEL.