Joan Ganz Cooney Center Launches Prizes to Inspire Breakthrough in Children’s Educational Digital Media
New York, January 11, 2010 – The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop is now accepting applications for the inaugural Cooney Center Prizes for Innovation in Children’s Learning, a national competition intended to inspire and identify breakthrough ideas in children’s digital media and learning. Launched last week at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show’s Kids at Play Summit, the program will annually award cash prizes and provide development and business planning support from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
The Cooney Center is challenging innovators to develop new tools and content in two categories. The Breakthroughs in Mobile Learning prize category, invites applicants to submit mobile learning projects for children between the ages of 3-11 that push the boundaries of learning utilizing handheld technologies. The Breakthroughs in Literacy Learning: Innovate with The Electric Company category invites concepts that promote literacy skills using Sesame Workshop’s The Electric Company. The Electric Company is a multimedia literacy campaign designed to reach out to today’s 6- to 9 year-olds, not only on television, but wherever kids are: in the community, after-school programs and online.
This year’s prizes are $50,000 towards prototype development in the Mobile Learning category and $10,000 in the Literacy Learning category with the opportunity to work with Sesame Workshop to turn a literacy idea into a product. Up to five finalists in each category will be invited to pitch their ideas to industry and educational leaders at an event held at this year’s E3 Expo. One winner will be selected in each category.
The Cooney Center is accepting submissions through an online proposal powered by Idea Crossing. Submissions are due by midnight EST, April 1, 2010. A distinguished jury, including Bing Gordon of Kleiner Perkins, John Shen of Nokia Research Lab and Alan Gershenfeld of E Line Media, will vet applications.
Dr. Michael H. Levine, Executive Director of the Cooney Center said, “Billions of dollars are spent every year by parents on the growing plethora of digital games, toys, mobile devices, and online experiences for children. However, research demonstrates that the vast majority of these products have only tapped a minimal amount of educational value. The new prizes are intended to offer real incentives to digital media entrepreneurs who would like to do well by creating new ways to help children learn.”
The new program represents a response to a recent McKinsey and Company study that identified prize competitions as a key driver for innovation, as well as the Cooney Center’s research on the potential of mobile learning and videogames to promote children’s learning and healthy development.
The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop is an independent, nonprofit research center that is fostering innovation in children’s learning through digital media.
The Cooney Center conducts and supports research, creates educational models and interactive media properties and builds cross-sector partnerships. The Cooney Center is named for Sesame Workshop’s founder, who revolutionized television with the creation of Sesame Street. Core funding is provided by the generous support of Peter G. Peterson, Genius Products, Mattel, Inc. and Sesame Workshop.
Contact:
Jodi Lefkowitz
Sesame Workshop
212-875-6497
jodi.lefkowitz@sesameworkshop.org