Tag Archives: sesame workshop

As a result of COVID-19, families around the world are struggling to adjust, adapt, and keep each other safe. In response, Sesame Workshop is launching the Caring for Each Other initiative – a commitment to supporting families for the duration of this crisis. Through this initiative, we will be introducing brand new content from Sesame Street and Streets around the world, as well as an online hub at SesameStreet.org/caring offering a rich array of free resources to support children and families.   On Sesame Street, we will be creating video messages of love and kindness, activities and virtual play dates featuring the Sesame Street Muppets (launching soon). Families can also now watch full episodes on…

This article was originally published on Medium in 2016 when Sesame Workshop joined forces with Reach Capital to invest in emerging companies innovating in education, health, and social welfare for children, and appears here with permission. We are honored to partner with Sesame Workshop, one of the world’s most innovative, venerable education organizations for nearly 50 years. Sesame’s experience in children’s media, early childhood development and social-emotional learning is invaluable to our fund and portfolio companies. At Reach, we believe these…

You may have heard that television programming in the 1960s was called a “vast wasteland.” by then-FCC Chairman Newton Minow. From the beginning, Lloyd Morrisett and I were both convinced that television – which was capturing the attention of children as nothing else was – did have the power to educate as well as to entertain and we set out to prove it. It was back in 1966 when I wrote my original report, The Potential Uses of Television in…

Attention all designers, developers, and researchers: Almost 50 years ago, Joan Ganz Cooney submitted a proposal to the Carnegie Corporation that led to the creation of Sesame Street. Inspired by a conversation with Lloyd Morrisett about how children were so captivated by television that they were effortlessly learning advertising jingles, she conducted interviews with cognitive psychologists, preschool educators, television producers, and filmmakers to explore how this new medium could be harnessed to help young children learn to read and write.…

This past spring, our colleagues at Sesame Workshop Publishing launched S’More, a new online magazine for kids 2-5. Last week, we got a look into some of the research that informed their publishing decisions; here, they share a glimpse into the production process. Technical Development by Paul Roberts, Manager, Digital Publishing Assets, Fulfillment, & Design, Sesame Workshop Publishing The traditional process of creating an app is often time-consuming, expensive, and complex: delays and unforeseen costs are commonplace due to changing…

This past spring, our colleagues at Sesame Workshop Publishing launched S’More, a new online magazine for kids 2-5 that is a more interactive experience than a traditional “magazine.” We invited them to share the process with us in a two-part series that looks at the research that informed their publishing decisions here, and next week, a look at the production process.   Content Development by Betsy Loredo, Executive Editor & Producer, Sesame Workshop Publishing: What experience does the word “magazine”…

Last night, Joan Ganz Cooney was honored at Sesame Workshop’s Annual Gala.  This is the first time that Joan, who co-founded the Children’s Television Workshop 45 years ago and remains Chair of the Workshop’s Executive Committee, was honored by her colleagues.  It won’t be the last honor conferred—though Joan, who is incredibly modest given the revolutionary contributions she has made—might prefer less pomp and circumstance as she looks back at her unprecedented impact in the children’s media space.  At the…

Neil Shapiro, of New York City’s WNET13,recently interviewed Joan Ganz Cooney, the founder of the Sesame Street and co-founder of The Joan Ganz Cooney Center, for the Pioneers series.  The Center applies Ms. Ganz Cooney’s ground breaking 40 year old question, “How can emerging media help children learn?” by bring it into the 21st century digital space. (If the video doesn’t load, click here.)   Watch Pioneers of Thirteen: Joan Ganz Cooney on PBS. See more from THIRTEEN Specials.

Yes, this is another piece about the SpongeBob study. I wanted to provide my thoughts on it both from a scientific research perspective, but also as someone who has to help make production decisions even when there is not enough time and resources to do a thorough scientific study. Often we have to hypothesize about why particular content supports or detracts from children’s learning.   For the 2% of you (completely unscientific poll) who might be reading this but who…

Makeda Mays Green is the Director of Education and Research for Digital Media at Sesame Workshop. We were lucky to have her join us in LA for the Leadership Forum in May. She shares her thoughts on the event and some of her favorite takeaways.   The “Learning from Hollywood” forum was nothing short of amazing! It presented a rare opportunity to connect leaders from the entertainment industry with educational experts from around the country. Over the course of two…