For more than 50 years, Sesame Street has bridged cultural and educational gaps with fun and learning for children and their families. From counting numbers with The Count to sharing treats with the Cookie Monster, Sesame Street has taught many lessons while fostering a sense of belonging and joy.
Although America and the rest of the world have a new year on their calendar, the tumultuous aftermath of 2020 lingers, making the support of Sesame Street more important. As many face circumstances even adults struggle to discuss, the children’s series has created an initiative to help guide fans, old and new, through the most difficult conversations.
The new Sesame Street in Communities national initiative features accessible tools and resources on a variety of topics for local public television stations to share with parents, childcare providers, and early childhood educators. Locally, Rhode Island PBS is one of only 20 public media stations to be awarded funding to support the initiative. Rhode Island PBS Education Services launches the Sesame Street in Communities initiative in Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts with collaborating agencies Rhode Island Kids Count, Massachusetts Strategies for Children, and Rhode Island and Massachusetts SEIU Education and Support Fund.
“Working with our community partners, Rhode Island PBS is honored to provide these Sesame Street in Communities resources to families in our viewing area,” said David W. Piccerelli, president of WSBE Rhode Island PBS. “Although we cannot come together in person, we are committed to continuing our educational outreach by providing these workshops virtually.”
The series will consist of three workshops in English, each featuring teaching tools and parenting tips to support children’s development. The same series will also be offered in Spanish. The virtual one-hour sessions will take place on Thursdays at 6 p.m. on the Zoom platform. The English language workshops will be on February 11, March 11, and April 8; Spanish language workshops will be on February 25, March 25, and April 22.
The Sesame Street in Communities workshops are free to attend, but registration is required. Interested parents, caregivers, and educators may register for one, two, or all three English sessions here. For Spanish workshops, click here.
English Series:
- Thursday, February 11: Health and Emergencies: Health emergencies bring many challenges and much uncertainty for young children, but there are things we can do to face each day with optimism and hope. The resources can help families cope during challenging times.
- Thursday, March 11: Traumatic Experiences: When a child endures a traumatic experience, the whole family feels the impact. In this session, adults learn how they can lessen the effects on the child.
- Thursday, April 8: Science: Kids are natural scientists. Whether indoors, or on the go, exploring together and asking questions helps them learn about the world and how it works. This third session introduces activities and resources to engage children with Science and spark discovery.
Spanish series:
- Jueves 25 de febrero: Salud y Emergencias: Las emergencias de salud traen muchos desafíos y mucha incertidumbre para los niños pequeños, pero hay cosas que podemos hacer para afrontar cada día con optimismo y esperanza. Los recursos que destacaremos, pueden ayudar a las familias a sobrellevar los momentos difíciles.
- Jueves 25 de marzo: Experiencias traumáticas: Cuando un niño sufre una experiencia traumática, toda la familia siente el impacto. Pero los adultos tienen el poder de ayudar a disminuir sus efectos. Aprenderemos a dar vida a esos factores.
- Jueves 22 de abril: Ciencia: Los niños son científicos naturales. Ya sea en interiores, o en marcha, explorar juntos y hacer preguntas les ayuda a aprender sobre el mundo y cómo funciona. Juntos aprenderemos acerca de las actividades y recursos que nos ayudarán a involucrar a los niños con la Ciencia y encender la chispa del descubrimiento.
More information about the initiative can be found at SesameStreetinCommunities.org. The Sesame Street in Communities workshop series is made possible by support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and is managed in partnership with WNET.
Sesame Street airs weekdays at 7 a.m. on WSBE Rhode Island PBS and weekdays at 11 a.m. on WSBE Learn. WSBE Rhode Island PBS transmits over the air in high definition on digital 36.1; Cox 08 / 1008HD, Verizon FiOS 08 / 508HD, and Full Channel 08; Comcast 819HD and Verizon FiOS 18 / 518HD in MA; DirecTV 36, Dish Network 36. WSBE Learn transmits over the air on digital 36.2; Cox 808, Verizon FiOS 478, Full Channel 989; Comcast 294 or 312.