Sesame Workshop

OUR MISSION IS TO HELP KIDS GROW SMARTER, STRONGER AND KINDER.

CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF EDUCATIONAL MEDIASESAME 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 GIVE VULNERABLE CHILDREN EQUAL AND EARLY ACCESS TO PRESCHOOL LEARNING. SESAME WORKSHOP IS MOST WELL-KNOWN FOR ITS FLAGSHIP EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM "SESAME STREET." 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 (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)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 10.6 MILLION KIDS' AGES 0-8 IN THE U.S. ON A MONTHLY BASIS. ITS CONTINUED POPULARITY PLACES IT AS THE #2 PRE-SCHOOL SHOW ON PBS. SESAME STREET'S FREE YOUTUBE CHANNEL RECEIVED OVER 1.7 BILLION VIEWS DOMESTICALLY IN FISCAL YEAR 2021 (AND 5.1 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, THE NETHERLANDS, LATIN AMERICA, SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA, BANGLADESH, SOMALIA, ETHIOPIA AND AFGHANISTAN. THE PROGRAM REACHES 150 MILLION KIDS ON A WORLDWIDE BASIS.IN ADDITION TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF SESAME STREET ON MASS MEDIA PLATFORMS, SESAME WORKSHOP ALSO LEVERAGES IT MEDIA CONTENT AND WHOLE-CHILD CURRICULUM TO REACH KIDS IN FORMAL SCHOOL SETTINGS. IN FY 2021, SESAME WORKSHOP WORKED WITH ITS PARTNER, EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHER MCGRAW HILL (MH), TO EXPAND THE WORKSHOP'S FIRST INTEGRATED PROGRAM INCORPORATING CRITICAL SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) SKILLS INTO MH'S WONDERS ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULUM FOR ELEMENTARY (GRADES K-5) STUDENTS TO ADDITIONAL STATE TEXTBOOK ADOPTIONS AND TO ALL 50 STATES NATIONALLY. DURING THE PAST SCHOOL YEAR, MH CONTINUED TO PROMOTE OUR CARING FOR EACH OTHER RESOURCES TO FAMILIES THROUGH SESAME STREET IN COMMUNITIES TO ALL OF ITS SCHOOL-BASED CUSTOMERS NATIONALLY. OUR OTHER SCHOOL PARTNER, TEACHSTONE LLC, WHICH IS THE LEADING PROVIDER OF THE TEACHER EVALUATION SYSTEM, CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT SCORING SYSTEM (CLASS), CONTINUED TO OFFER CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS FOR OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT VIDEOS THAT LEVERAGE SESAME STREET CONTENT. ADDITIONALLY, WE BEGAN DEVELOPMENT OF A DIGITAL TEACHER PLATFORM, LEVERAGING THE FUNDS OF THE SECOND GRANT FROM THE CHAN ZUCKERBERG INITIATIVE, AND SECURED A RESEARCH PAPER, STANFORD UNIVERSITY TO CONDUCT FOCUSED "RESEARCH-TO-PRACTICE" ON THIS PROGRAM THAT IS DESIGNED TO EMBED SEL IN THE CONTEXT EMERGENT LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT. WE NOW HAVE FOUR PILOT PROGRAMS IN CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK AND OVER 28 CLASSROOMS. FINALLY, WE BEGAN THE RESEARCH, ARTICULATION, AND DEVELOPMENT OF A SCHOOL-BASED CURRICULUM FOR OUR COMING TOGETHER INITIATIVE.

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL IMPACTSESAME WORKSHOP'S INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL IMPACT GROUP PROVIDES EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AROUND THE WORLD. WE PARTNER WITH LOCAL EXPERTS, INCLUDING EDUCATORS, DONORS, MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENT MINISTRIES, AND NGOS TO DEVELOP, PRODUCE AND EVALUATE LOCAL ADAPTATIONS OF "SESAME STREET AND DIRECT SERVICE EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES THAT ARE TAILORED TO MEET THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF A PARTICULAR COUNTRY OR REGION. THE SCOPE OF OUR WORK RANGES FROM COUNTRY-SPECIFIC INITIATIVES -- SUCH AS IN BANGLADESH, SOUTH AFRICA, AND INDIA -- TO MULTI-COUNTRY PROGRAMS AND REGIONAL PROJECTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON WORK IN SOUTH ASIA, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST COVERING THEMATIC AREAS (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)INCLUDING FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS, EARLY LEARNING, WASH, AND CHILD PROTECTION.IN A YEAR MARKED BY THE LASTING IMPACT OF COVID-19, SESAME WORKSHOP PROACTIVELY PIVOTED PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION PLANS TO MEET THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. WE DEVELOPED AND DISTRIBUTED MATERIALS WITH NEW AND EXISTING PARTNERS, ADAPTED PROGRAM DESIGN TO REACH CHILDREN AT HOME, ADVOCATED FOR THE INCLUSION OF YOUNG CHILDREN IN COVID AND CRISIS RESPONSE, WORKED WITH COLLEAGUES TO SECURE NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPANDED OUR WORK TO NEW GEOGRAPHIES REACHING MILLIONS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUGH MASS MEDIA, DIGITAL, AND DIRECT SERVICES.AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 2020, SESAME WORKSHOP PRODUCED A GLOBAL FAMILY SPECIAL FOR BROADCAST AND DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT FISCAL YEAR 2021. THE SPECIAL, "ELMO'S WORLD NEWS" WAS DUBBED IN OVER 15 LANGUAGES AND BROADCAST IN OVER 40 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. IN ADDITION TO ITS BROADCAST REACH, IT HAS OVER 2.8 MILLION VIEWS ON THE "SESAME STREET" YOUTUBE CHANNEL. THROUGH SESAME WORKSHOP'S GLOBAL COVID-RESPONSE PROGRAM "CARING FOR EACH OTHER", WE PRODUCED A SUITE OF NEW CONTENT INCLUDING STORYBOOKS, INTERACTIVE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, DIGITAL GAMES, AND NEW VIDEO CONTENT ADDRESSING TOPICS INCLUDING HEALTH, PLAY, AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL NEEDS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. SUPPORTED BY LEGO FOUNDATION, VIATRIS, RTI, S.C. JOHNSON, UNILEVER AND THE INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK, MATERIALS WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH PARTNERS INCLUDING GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE BROADCASTERS IN 10 LANGUAGES IN BANGLADESH, SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA, UZBEKISTAN, NEPAL, BURMA AND THROUGHOUT MENA AND LATIN AMERICA FOR A COMBINED REACH OF OVER 90 MILLION PEOPLE. THE CONTENT CONTINUES TO BE ADAPTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN NEW LANGUAGES AND GEOGRAPHIES TO SUPPORT CONTINUED LEARNING AT HOME. SESAME WORKSHOP LAUNCHED A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP WITH UNICEF ON WORLD CHILDREN'S DAY (NOVEMBER 20). THE PARTNERSHIP INCLUDED NEW CONTENT DEVELOPMENT FOCUSING ON THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS DURING COVID-19. WE CELEBRATED GLOBAL PARENTING MONTH IN JUNE WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF ADAPTED COVID-19 MATERIALS IN 11 NEW LANGUAGES AND MARKED THE LAUNCH WITH A PARENTING PSA FEATURING GROVER AND UNICEF AMBASSADOR, LUCY LUI. IN BANGLADESH, SEASON 13 OF "SISIMPUR" LAUNCHED ON THREE CHANNELS IN JANUARY 2021. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, SESAME WORKSHOP BANGLADESH PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED A SERIES OF PSAS AND EID AND NATIONAL HOLIDAY SPECIALS TO PROMOTE EARLY LEARNING AND SUPPORT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DURING COVID-19. OUR LOCAL TEAM EXPANDED ITS DIGITAL PRESENCE THROUGH THE LAUNCH OF THE SISIMPUR ELEARNING APP WHICH FEATURES VIDEOS, STORYBOOKS AND GAMES AND IS ACCESSIBLE ON MOBILE PHONES AND COMPUTERS. THE TEAM DISTRIBUTED OVER 57,000 STORYBOOKS THROUGH OUR USAID FUNDED PROJECT. IN INDIA, WE CELEBRATED THE LAUNCH OF THE SESAME WORKSHOP INDIA YOUTUBE CHANNEL IN NOVEMBER 2020. BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THE HINDI AND TELEGU CHANNELS HAD A COMBINED 36 MILLION VIEWS. THE CHANNELS FEATURES FAMILIAR SESAME CHARACTERS INCLUDING ELMO, COOKIE MONSTER, AND CHAMKI IN BOTH DUBBED VIDEOS FROM THE SESAME LIBRARY ALONG WITH EXCITING NEW CONTENT DEVELOPED FOR THE INDIAN AUDIENCE.SESAME WORKSHOP TEAMS IN INDIA ADAPTED PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION PLANS TO MEET THE EVOLVING NEEDS ON THE GROUND AS A RESULT OF COVID SURGES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. WE REDESIGNED PROGRAMS TO ENSURE REMOTE DELIVERY USING PLATFORMS INCLUDING WHATSAPP AND INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE. WITH SUPPORT FROM THE INDIA CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE, WE SURVEYED OVER 9,000 CHILDREN AGES 6-10 ABOUT THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AND FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN STUDENTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO HIGHLIGHT THE ROLE OF CHILDREN AS CLIMATE CHANGEMAKERS AND VOICES FOR ACTION IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. SESAME WORKSHOP INDIA EXPANDED PROGRAMMING IN ANGANWADI CENTERS (GOVERNMENT RUN PRE-SCHOOLS) ACROSS MORE THAN 12 STATES FOCUSING ON PRE-LITERACY OUTCOMES AND LAUNCHED A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN AIMED AT IMPROVING POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT OF FATHERS IN CHILDREN'S LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT.IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, SESAME WORKSHOP UNDERTOOK A FEASIBILITY STUDY TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE AND VIABILITY OF SESAME WORKSHOP PROGRAMMING IN BURMA. THE RESULTING FEASIBILITY REPORT SYNTHESIZED FINDINGS FROM A SERIES OF STUDIES INCLUDING A NEEDS ASSESSMENT, MEDIA LANDSCAPE RESEARCH, EDUCATIONAL AND FORMATIVE RESEARCH, AND STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS. THE RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTED THE JOYS AND CHALLENGES OF CAREGIVERS, AS WELL AS THE DIVERSE LIVED EXPERIENCES AND VIEWS ON "BELONGING" AMONG DIFFERENT GROUPS WITHIN BURMA. AS OUR RESEARCH PHASE DREW TO A CLOSE IN FEBRUARY 2021, THE BURMESE MILITARY DEPOSED THE ELECTED CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT AND DECLARED A STATE-OF-EMERGENCY UNDER MILITARY RULE. THE SESAME WORKSHOP TEAM REMAINS IN CONVERSATION WITH PARTNERS TO DETERMINE POTENTIAL PROGRAMMING OPPORTUNITIES CONSIDERING THE CHANGED CONTEXTS IN BURMA. OUR WORK IN AFGHANISTAN CONTINUED WITH AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN SESAME WORKSHOP AND VIAMO TO PILOT DISTRIBUTION OF "BAGHCH-E-SIMSIM" AUDIO CONTENT ON THEIR EXISTING INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE PLATFORM. FURTHER, WE LAUNCHED A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH SAVE THE CHILDREN AFGHANISTAN TO PILOT THE INTEGRATION OF "BAGHCH-E-SIMSIM" PRINT MATERIALS IN THEIR CHILD FRIENDLY SPACES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. SESAME WORKSHOP BEGAN TO CLOSELY MONITOR THE US MILITARY WITHDRAWAL THROUGHOUT THE LATE SPRING AND EARLY SUMMER AND WORKED WITH PARTNERS TO ADAPT PROGRAM PLANS IN FISCAL YEAR 2022. IN SOUTH AFRICA, SESAME WORKSHOP CONTINUED MASS MEDIA ENGAGEMENT WITH "TAKALANI SESAME AND DEEPENED IMPACT THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS. SEASON 11 OF "TAKALANI SESAME" WAS VOTED THE BEST CHILDREN'S PROGRAM AT THE SOUTH AFRICA FILM AND TELEVISION AWARDS, ONE OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MEDIA INDUSTRY. SHORTLY AFTER, SEASON 12 OF "TAKALANI SESAME" PREMIERED ON SABC WITH A FOCUS ON TEAMWORK AND DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. SESAME WORKSHOP SOUTH AFRICA DEVELOPED NEW MATERIALS AND IMPLEMENTED OUR LEGO FOUNDATION SUPPORTED PLAY WORKSHOPS PROGRAM IN GAUTENG, FREE STATE, AND EASTERN CAPE. WITH FUNDING FROM THE OAK FOUNDATION, THE TEAM COMPLETED IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR PROGRAM PROMOTING THE ROLE OF MALE CAREGIVERS IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT. OVER 420 CAREGIVER-CHILD DADS PARTICIPATED IN THE MULTI-WEEK INTERVENTION. WE EXPANDED REACH IN EAST AFRICA WITH THE PRODUCTION AND LAUNCH OF "SESAME HADITHI NJOO" ("SESAME STORY TIME"), OUR KISWAHILI TELEVISION PROGRAM, ON KTN, A NATIONAL FREE-TO-AIR BROADCASTER IN KENYA. THE SERIES PROMOTES THEMES OF MUTUAL RESPECT AND UNDERSTANDING FEATURING FAMILIAR FACES INCLUDING ELMO, BERT, AND ERNIE. ADDITIONALLY, WE PRODUCED 13 NEW EPISODES OF SOMALI-LANGUAGE, "SESAME SHEEKO SHEEKO" ("SESAME STORY TIME") RADIO EPISODES FOR BROADCAST THROUGHOUT THE REGION. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EQUAL ACCESS INTERNATIONAL, SESAME WORKSHOP DEVELOPED AND PILOTED THE "SESAME SHEEKO SHEEKO" TEACHER'S FACILITATION GUIDE IN CLASSROOMS IN KENYA, ETHIOPIA, AND SOMALIA. IN NIGERIA, THE HAUSA-LANGUAGE SESAME SERIES "DANDALIN SESAME" RETURNED TO AIR ON AREWA24 REACHING AN ESTIMATED AUDIENCE OVER 1 MILLION ON WEEKENDS AND 740,000 ON WEEKDAYS.

U.S. SOCIAL IMPACTIN ADDITION TO DISTRIBUTING ITS EDUCATIONAL CONTENT ON MASS MEDIA PLATFORMS, SESAME WORKSHOP CREATES AND DISTRIBUTES BILINGUAL MULTI-MEDIA EDUCATIONAL INITIATIVES AND MATERIALS THAT ARE TARGETED TO SPECIFIC AT-RISK AUDIENCES OR THAT ADDRESS SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL NEEDS.IN FY 2021, THE SESAME STREET IN COMMUNITIES (SSIC) PROGRAM TACKLED ADDITIONAL TOUGH TOPICS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF MARGINALIZED CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. GUIDED BY FORMATIVE RESEARCH, NEW BILINGUAL (ENGLISH/SPANISH) RACIAL JUSTICE RESOURCES ON THE TOPIC OF RACIAL LITERACY LAUNCHED IN MARCH 2021 AS A PART OF THE COMPANY-WIDE COMING TOGETHER INITATIVE. RESOURCES INCLUDED: (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)MUPPET VIDEOS FEATURING WES & ELIJAH, OUR NEW BLACK MUPPETS (FATHER AND SON) ON SESAME STREET, DOCUMENTARY VIDEOS WITH BIPOC FAMILIES, ARTICLES, PRINTABLES, A DIGITAL INTERACTIVE, AND A PARENT WORKSHOP ON HELPING PARENT TALK ABOUT AND STAND UP AGAINST RACISM. ADDITIONAL CONTENT LAUNCHED IN JUNE 2021 TO ADDRESS COPING WITH RACISM: MUPPET VIDEOS, DOCUMENTARY VIDEO WITH AN INDIGEOUS FAMILY, AND A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBINAR. THE PROJECT GARNERED 500+ PRESS STORIES TOTALLING 5 MILLION IMPRESSIONS WITH A REACH METRIC OF 6.5M ON SOCIAL MEDIA.IN MAY 2021 SESAME WORKSHOP ANNOUCED A NEW GRANT FROM THE PNC FOUNDATION TO EXPAND ON OUR RACIAL JUSTICE WORK THROUGH A SCHOOL READINESS LENS. THE 4-YEAR $6.2 MILLION BILINGUAL INITATIVE IS BASED ON 5 GOALS: BUILDING IDENTITY, APPROACHES TO LEARNING, BUILDING COMMUNITY, CONFLICT RESOLUTION, AND ASPIRATIONS. RESOURCES WILL INCLUDE: MUPPET AND DOCUMENTARY VIDEOS, INTERACTIVE GAMES, PRINTED ACTIVITY BOOKS, PRINTABLES, ARTICLES AND A NEW PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSE.SSIC ALSO CONTINUED EFFORTS TO RESPOND TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BY ADDING TO THE GLOBAL CARING FOR EACH OTHER INITIATIVE THROUGH VARIOUS PROMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENTS AND FOUR ADDITIONAL LAUNCHES IN FY21. ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2020, SESAME WORKSHOP AND CNN RELEASED A 60-MINUTE "TOWN HALL" SPECIAL WITH INFORMATION AND TOOLS FOR FAMILIES TO TACKLE ALL THINGS BACK-TO-SCHOOL DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE TOWN HALL WAS SUPPORTED BY WALTON FAMILY FOUNDATION, HOSTED BY CNN'S CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN ANCHOR ERICA HILL, AND BIG BIRD. CONTENT RANGED FROM STAYING HEALTHY IN THE CLASSROOM TO MAKING THE MOST OF REMOTE LEARNING. MUPPET SEGMENTS SHOWED A VARIETY OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS INCLUDING ELMO'S IN-PERSON PRESCHOOL, BIG BIRD IN HYBRID LEARNING, AND ROSITA LEARNING FULLY REMOTE. THE TOWN HALL AIRED IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH ON CNN PLATFORMS. WE ARE PLEASED TO REPORT THAT THE BROADCAST REACHED ALMOST 1 MILLION TOTAL VIEWERS.IN DEC 2020, WITH SUPPORT FROM VIATRIS, SSIC LAUNCHED 8 NEW DIGITAL ACTIVITY BUNDLES ON THE THEME OF SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, FOR FAMILIES TO TALK THROUGH AND NAME BIG FEELINGS LIKE STRESS OR FEAR, ENCOURAGE POSITIVE CAREGIVING STRATEGIES AND ROUTINES, AND MORE. THESE BUNDLES LAUNCHED ON SSIC AND WERE LOCALIZED FOR INDIA, SOUTH AFRICA, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA, AND THROUGHOUT LATIN AMERICA. IN MAY 2021, SESAME WORKSHOP PARTNERED WITH THE AD COUNCIL, COVID COLLABORATIVE, THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, AND THE CDC ON 3 PSAS TO HELP BUILD VACCINE CONFIDENCE, COUNTERACT ADULT VACCINE HESITANCY, AND PROVIDE RESOURCES TO HELP THE PUBLIC MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT GETTING VACCINATED. ADDITIONALLY IN MAY 2021, WITH SUPPORT FROM USAA, SSIC LAUNCHED A DIGITAL BUNDLE TO SUPPORT MILITARY FAMILIES WHO CONTINUE TO SERVE, EVEN DURING THE UNCERTAINTIES OF COVID-19. THE RESOURCES IN THIS BUNDLE THANKED MILITARY FAMILIES FOR THEIR CONTINUED SERVICE, OFFERED STRATEGIES TO HELP FAMILIES WHEN A PARENT QUARANTINES ON THE JOB, PROVIDED ACTIVITIES THAT HELP CHILDREN EXPRESS BIG FEELINGS, AND EXPLORED THE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES MILITARY FAMILIES ARE EXPERIENCING DURING THE PANDEMIC. WITH THE SUPPORT OF WALTON FAMILY FOUNDATION, WE ALSO BROADLY DISTRIBUTED BILINGUAL DIGITAL RESOURCES TO PARENTS, CHILDREN, AND PROVIDERS TO SUPPORT THEM IN THE RETURN TO SCHOOL DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. KNOWN AS LEARNING TOGETHER: THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES, THIS PROJECT SOUGHT TO HELP CHILDREN IDENTIFY EMOTIONS, PRACTICE SELF-REGULATION, AND DEVELOP RESILIENCE. WE DELIVERED 10 DIGITAL BUNDLES AND TWO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBINARS. DIGITAL BUNDLES ARE COMPRISED OF COLLECTIONS OF MULTIMEDIA CONTENT AND ACTIVITIES FOCUSED ON SPECIFIC MESSAGING, ROLLED OUT AT INTERVALS. EACH BUNDLE INCLUDED VIDEO (WITH ANIMATIONS), PRINTABLES, ARTICLES WITH ACTIVITIES FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN, AND SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS. THE THEMES INCLUDED BACK TO SCHOOL, FLEXIBLE THINKING, COMMUNICATING FEELINGS, SELF-REGULATION, FEELING GRATITUDE, PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT ME BUIDLING CONFIDENCE, STAYING POSITIVE, NEW FRIENDSHIPS AND MORE PEOPLE AROUND. IN ADDITION, WE CREATED TWO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WEBINARS FOR PROVIDERS: LEARNING TOGETHER DURING COVID-19 AND STAYING POSITIVE TOGETHER DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. THESE BUNDLES HAD 34,488 VIEWS AND NEW VIDEOS HAD 440,819 VIEWS. OVER 3,500 VIEWS OF THE TWO WEBINARS. AT THE END OF MAY 2021, SSIC LAUNCHED NEW CONTENT ON SCIENCE AND CURIOSITY, FUNDED BY SC JOHNSON, TO FOSTER CHILDREN'S CURIOSITY AND INSPIRE THEM TO EXPLORE THE WONDERS OF SCIENCE. RESOURSES INCLUDED A MUSIC VIDEO AND THREE MUPPET VIDEOS THAT BUILD SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE WITH SUPPORTING PRINTABLES AND ARTICLES. SINCE LAUNCH, THE SSIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES PAGE, WHICH HOSTS ALL OF THE RESOURCES RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC, HAS BEEN THE #1 VIEWED PAGE WITH OVER 100,000 PAGEVIEWS (FROM JULY 1, 2020 JUNE 30, 2021) AND ACCOUNTING FOR 8.27% OF ALL PAGEVIEWS TO THE SITE. WE CONTINUED OUR COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING RESOURCES TO FAMILIES, CAREGIVERS, TEACHERS, AND PROVIDERS AROUND THE COUNTRY TO PROVIDE A GREATER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT AUTISM AND TOOLS TO HELP FAMILIES TOUCHED BY AUTISM. ON SEPTEMBER 28TH 2020, WE LAUNCHED NEW MATERIALS TO HELP FAMILIES OF KIDS WITH AUTISM COPE WITH THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES OF COVID-19. THE RESOURCES, AVAILABLE FOR FREE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH ON SESAMESTREET.ORG/AUTISM AND SSIC, ARE DESIGNED TO HELP FAMILIES ADAPT AND CREATE ROUTINES, BUILD FLEXIBILITY, AND COPE WITH THE CHALLENGES OF LIVING IN THE TIME OF COVID-19, LIKE HAVING TO WEAR MASKS AND LEARNING TO UNDERSTAND PHYSICAL DISTANCING. RESOURCES INCLUDE NEW MUPPET VIDEOS, AN ANIMATION, A DIGITAL STORYBOOK, PRINTABLES, AND ARTICLES. PRESS COVERAGE INCLUDED TODAY, PURE WOW, ROMPER, POP SUGAR AND MORE. IN HONOR OF AUTISM ACCEPTANCE DAY, SESAME WORKSHOP EXPANDED ITS SESAME STREET AND AUTISM: SEE AMAZING IN ALL CHILDREN INITIATIVE ON APRIL 2, 2021. THE RESOURCES, AVAILABLE FOR FREE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH ON SESAMESTREET.ORG/AUTISM, ARE DESIGNED TO HELP CHILDREN AND FAMILIES COPE WITH CHANGES IN ROUTINES AND UNCERTAINTY AND BUILD FLEXIBLE THINKING SKILLS. NEW RESOURCES INCLUDE THREE NEW VIDEOS FEATURING JULIA AND HER FAMILY, A NEW PRINTED AND DIGITAL STORYBOOK, A NEW INTERACTIVE FOR KIDS, AND NEW ARTICLES AND PRINTABLES FOR FAMILIES. A SESAME STREET EPISODE FEATURING JULIA BROADCAST ON PBS AND HBO IN APRIL 2021, IN WHICH JULIA AND HER FRIENDS ON SESAME STREET PLAY A MATCHING GAME. PRESS COVERAGE INCLUDED ROMPER, DISABILITY SCOOP AND MORE. THE AUTISM CONTENT GARNERED OVER 1.1 MILLION PAGEVIEWS ON SESAMESTREET.ORG/AUTISM AND OVER 23,000 PAGEVIEWS ON SSIC BETWEEN JULY 2020-JUNE 2021 AND THE NEW VIDEOS GARNERED OVER 5.3 MILLION VIDEO VIEWS.WE HOSTED AN ADVISORY MEETING ON MAY 18TH, 2021 WITH A NEW BOARD OF EXPERT ADVISORS TO INFORM ON THE FUTURE OF OUR AUTISM WORK. THERE WERE 4 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE ADVISORY THAT WILL CARRY INTO OUR NEW CONTENT DEVELOPMENT AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON WORK FOR APRIL 2022 AND BEYOND. THOSE THEMES ARE: 1) PRIORITIZE BELONGING; 2) EXPLORE AND HONOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY; 3) CONTINUE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC; 4) EMPHASIZE SELF-MANAGEMENT/SELF-DETERMINATION SKILLS.

PROGRAMS REACHING CHILDREN & FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CRISIS IN THE FACE OF THE GLOBAL REFUGEE CRISES, MILLIONS OF YOUNG CHILDREN DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) OPPORTUNITIES THAT THEY NEED TO LEARN, RECOVER FROM ADVERSE EXPERIENCES, AND PREPARE THEM TO THRIVE. THE GLOBAL COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO LIMIT CHILDREN'S ACCESS TO LEARNING, ESPECIALLY FOR MORE VULNERABLE FAMILIES. THROUGHOUT FISCAL YEAR 2021, SESAME WORKSHOP CONTINUED PROGRAMS REACHING YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CRISIS, CONFLICT, AND DISPLACEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST, EAST AFRICA, LATIN AMERICA, AND BANGLADESH. DURING FY21, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC) AND WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MACARTHUR FOUNDATION AND LEGO FOUNDATION, SESAME WORKSHOP CONTINUED IMPLEMENTATION OF AHLAN SIMSIM ("WELCOME SESAME" IN ARABIC), A PROGRAM THAT DELIVERS EARLY LEARNING AND NURTURING CARE THROUGH ECD SERVICES TO CHILDREN AND CAREGIVERS AFFECTED BY CONFLICT AND DISPLACEMENT IN IRAQ, JORDAN, LEBANON, AND SYRIA, AND REACHES CHILDREN WITH EDUCATIONAL MEDIA THROUGH BROADCAST AND ON YOUTUBE ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA (MENA).THE SECOND AND THIRD SEASONS OF OUR EDUCATIONAL CHILDREN'S TELEVISION SERIES, "AHLAN SIMSIM", AIRED IN THE FALL OF 2020 AND THE SPRING OF 2021, RESPECTIVELY, ON THE REGIONAL BROADCAST CHANNEL, MBC3, AND REACHED OVER 5.2 MILLION CHILDREN IN IRAQ, JORDAN, LEBANON, AND IRAQ; 12 MILLION MORE ACROSS THE MENA. ALL VIDEO CONTENT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE AHLAN SIMSIM YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND OUR BOOKS AND OTHER MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AHLAN SIMSIM WEBSITE. DURING FY21, CONTENT ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL WAS VIEWED 109.8M TIMES. THE SEASON 2 CAMPAIGN LAUNCH REACHED 32.5M ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM AND THE SEASON 3 CAMPAIGN REACHED 28M ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM. "AHLAN SIMSIM" CONTENT WAS RECOGNIZED WITH THE TEACHERS' CHOICE AWARD AT THE CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN'S' FILM FESTIVAL IN NOVEMBER 2020 AND WAS NOMINATED FOR THE GSMA'S GLOBAL MOBILE AWARD IN MARCH 2021.DURING FY21, THE PROGRAM PROVIDED ECD SERVICES TO OVER 200,000 CHILDREN AND CAREGIVERS. WHILE MOST IN-PERSON SERVICES WERE SUSPENDED THROUGH MOST OF 2020, SOME IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES WERE POSSIBLE BEGINNING IN MID/LATE-2020 AND INTO 2021. THE PROGRAM CONTINUED TO REACH FAMILIES REMOTELY BY DISTRIBUTING EARLY LEARNING LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN BY PHONE AND MOBILE MESSAGING. WITH THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION IN JORDAN, THE AHLAN SIMSIM TEAM CREATED A TWO-WEEK SCHOOL READINESS PROGRAM (ADAPTED FROM AN ORIGINAL 2-MONTH PROGRAM) THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED REMOTELY VIA PHONE CALLS WITH CAREGIVERS. THE SCHOOL READINESS MODEL IS NOW BEING TESTED IN LEBANON AND IRAQ. THROUGH THE PLAY TO LEARN PROJECT, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LEGO FOUNDATION, BRAC, IRC, AND NYU GLOBAL TIES, SESAME WORKSHOP CONTINUED ITS EFFORTS REACHING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN BANGLADESH, JORDAN, AND LEBANON. UNDER THE PLAY TO LEARN PROJECT, SESAME WORKSHOP IS ELEVATING AWARENESS, ENGAGING POLICYMAKERS, AND INCREASING INVESTMENT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) IN CRISIS SETTINGS, ENSURING ACCESS TO PLAY-BASED EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE VITAL TO EVERY CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT.IN FY21, PLAY TO LEARN REACHED OVER 59,500 CHILDREN, 71,500 CAREGIVERS, AND 1,400 FACILITATORS THROUGH REMOTE INTERVENTIONS SUCH AS PHONE CALLS, HOME VISITS, MESSAGING GROUPS, AND ECD HOME KITS. SESAME WORKSHOP AND PARTNERS CONTINUED TO ENGAGE CHILDREN AND CAREGIVERS AMIDST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC THROUGH SCALING UP DIRECT SERVICES AND ENGAGING WITH COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES. THE TEAMS CONTINUED THEIR CO-CREATION OF CHILD AND CAREGIVER PRINT CONTENT, DEVELOPED STORYBOOKS, FLASH CARDS, COMMUNITY-FACING POSTERS, FLIPCHART, AND AUDIO PSAS FOR THE ROHINGYA CONTEXT. COVID AWARENESS POSTERS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO HEALTH, LEARNING, AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTERS AND STORYBOOKS WERE USED BY ORGANIZATIONS IN HOME-VISITS.AS OF JUNE 2021, THE PLAY TO LEARN TEAM COMPLETED AND REVIEWED 102 OF 140 SCRIPTS FOR THE "WATCH, PLAY, LEARN" ANIMATED VIDEOS. THESE VIDEOS ARE A PART OF ONGOING CONTENT DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS TO CREATE GLOBALLY RELEVANT AND MODULAR ANIMATED VIDEOS TO BE USED IN CRISIS-AFFECTED CONTEXTS; VIDEOS WILL BE PAIRED WITH ACCOMPANYING CONTEXTUALIZED MATERIALS. TO ENSURE CONTENT IS CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE AND EFFECTIVE, WE COMPLETED FORMATIVE TESTING ON THE FOUR SERIES FORMATS - MATH, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING, SCIENCE, AND CHILD PROTECTION, HEALTH, AND SAFETY IN JORDAN, LEBANON, MEXICO, BRAZIL, SOUTH AFRICA, NIGERIA, INDIA, AND BANGLADESH. THE TEAM ALSO BEGAN EXPLORING POTENTIAL PILOT PARTNERSHIPS IN COLOMBIA, BANGLADESH, AND KENYA. PLAY TO LEARN DEBUTED TWO NEW MUPPETS, NOOR AND AZIZ, IN DECEMBER 2020! NOOR AND AZIZ ARE ROHINGYA REFUGEE SIBLINGS LIVING IN COX'S BAZAR AND WERE CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ROHINGYA REFUGEE RESPONSE AFTER EXTENSIVE FORMATIVE RESEARCH WITH ROHINGYA CHILDREN AND CAREGIVERS. NOOR AND AZIZ WILL BE FEATURED IN CONTENT IN BANGLADESH. THE PLAY TO LEARN TEAM ALSO COLLABORATED WITH A DISABILITY ADVISOR, GLOBAL ADVISORS, AND EDUCATION TEAMS TO FINALIZE THE DESIGN FOR A NEW MUPPET CHARACTER. AMEERA IS A NEW ORIGINAL MUPPET WHO SUPPORTS HERSELF WITH A WHEELCHAIR AND CRUTCHES, AND WILL BE FEATURED IN "AHLAN SIMSIM AND THE "WATCH, PLAY, LEARN" ANIMATIONS IN FISCAL YEAR 2022. THE PLAY TO LEARN TEAM SECURED OPPORTUNITIES TO ELEVATE THE IMPORTANCE OF ECD AND DISSEMINATE PROGRAM LEARNINGS AND EVIDENCE THROUGH STRATEGIC ADVOCACY EVENTS AND PUBLICATIONS. THESE INCLUDED TESTIMONIES BEFORE US AND CANADIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, A PUBLICATION OF A JOINT PIECE FOR WORLD REFUGEE DAY ON THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION BLOG, PRESENTATIONS AT CIES, AND A PUBLICATION IN THE JOURNAL ON EDUCATION IN EMERGENCIES. THE TEAM ALSO LEVERAGED THE PASSAGE OF THE GLOBAL CHILD THRIVE ACT (GCTA), WHICH PROMISES TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT POLICIES TO ADVANCE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE FOR ORPHANS AND OTHER VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.IN PERU, WITH THE SUPPORT OF U.S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (USAID) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INTER-AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (IDB), SESAME WORKSHOP PILOTED TWO TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS TO DELIVER QUALITY EDUCATIONAL CONTENT FOR VENEZUELAN MIGRANT AND OTHER VULNERABLE FAMILIES. PRIOR TO PANDEMIC, NEARLY 75% OF MIGRANT CHILDREN AGES 3-5 WERE NOT ATTENDING ECD SERVICES, A NUMBER THAT HAS LIKELY ONLY INCREASED WITH THE ONSET OF COVID-19 (INEI, 2018). THE JARDIN SESAMO PLUG-IN DEVICES BROADCAST SESAME WORKSHOP CONTENT OVER FREE LOCAL WI-FI ACCESS IN SELECTED SPACES. THE SESAMO CHATBOT DISTRIBUTES MATERIALS TO CAREGIVERS VIA WHATSAPP. IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, SESAME WORKSHOP CURATED AND SELECTED 301 CONTENT ASSETS RELEVANT TO THE NEEDS OF MIGRANT FAMILIES FROM OUR SPANISH-LANGUAGE LIBRARY FOR DISTRIBUTION USING THE JARDIN SESAMO DEVICES AND CHATBOT. SESAME WORKSHOP AND IMPLEMENTING PARTNER, WORLD VISION PERU, IDENTIFIED IMPLEMENTATION SITES, RAN A QUICK ASSESSMENT WITH VENEZUELAN FAMILIES TO IDENTIFY NEEDS AND CONTENT PREFERENCES, AND DEFINED THE MONITORING AND EVALUATION PLAN FOR THE INTERVENTION. IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, SESAME WORKSHOP FURTHER EXPANDED OUR WORK REACHING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CRISIS AND DISPLACEMENT TO EAST AFRICA. IN RWANDA, WE INTEGRATED SESAME WORKSHOP MATERIALS INTO WORLD VISION'S CHILD PROTECTION PROGRAMS SERVING CONGOLESE REFUGEES AND RWANDESE HOST COMMUNITY MEMBERS. FORMATIVE TESTING, CONDUCTED SAFELY WITH COVID PROTOCOLS, REVEALED HIGH LEVELS OF APPEAL AND COMPREHENSION OF ALL MATERIALS THAT WERE THEN USED IN IN-CLASS AND TAKE-HOME ACTIVITIES. SESAME WORKSHOP ALSO COMPLETED DATA COLLECTION FOR OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT IN KAKUMA REFUGEE CAMP IN KENYA. WITH SUPPORT FROM PORTICUS, THIS STUDY PROVIDED INSIGHTS TO UNDERSTAND PRIORITIES SURROUNDING CHILDREN'S DEVELOPMENT AND THE ROLE OF PLAY IN HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT ALONG WITH CULTURAL NUANCES RELATED TO MEDIA AND STORYTELLING. SESAME WORKSHOP PLANS TO SPEND EARLY FISCAL YEAR 2022 REVIEWING THE FINDINGS AND DESIGNING POTENTIAL FOLLOW-ON PROGRAMMING TO SERVE REFUGEE AND HOST COMMUNITY POPULATIONS IN KAKUMA CAMP AND SURROUNDING AREAS. SESAME WORKSHOP CONTINUES TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND PROGRAMMING TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY CRISIS AND CONFLICT HAVE ACCESS TO EARLY LEARNING EXPERIENCES NEEDED TO HELP YOUNG CHILDREN GROW AND THRIVE.