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Sesame Street: Educating Young Children

Around the World

M is for Mobile Conference

March 2011

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Harness the power of media to help children around the world reach their highest potential.

Sesame Workshop’s MISSION

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The 1960sTHE BEGINNING

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Sesame Workshop Model

Sesame Workshop programs are designed to be both educational and entertaining

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Linear Television

Home Video

Live Shows

Website Visits

Digital Media

Theme Parks

Products

Outreach

Publishing

radio

Reaching Audiences Through Multiple Media

Platforms

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Afghanistan

Kosovo

Bangladesh

Brazil

Canada

China

Denmark

Egypt

France

GermanyNetherlands

India

Indonesia

Israel

USA

Japan

Jordan

KuwaitMexico

Northern Ireland

Palestine

Russia

South AfricaNamibiaBotswanaLesothoSwaziland

Tanzania

The Longest Street in the World

Nigeria

Portugal

Philippines

Poland

Turkey

Norway

Sweden

Spain

Colombia

Pakistan

You can’t beat the Street

TV and beyond

Cognitive Learning

Social & Emotional Learning

Physical & Mental Health

21st Century Skills

Alphabet/Letters

Vocabulary

Rhyming

Mathematics

Thinking Skills

Science

Health & Safety

Resilience

Getting Along with Others

Feelings

Self Confidence

Disabilities

Cultural Appreciation

Spanish Language

Music, Art & Creativity

Global Awareness

40 Years of Educational Content

Whole Child Curriculum

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Content Seminar/

Education Advisors

Distribution(broadcast, materials’

dissemination, etc.)

SummativeEvaluation

Set Educational Objectives

Production (Workshops, Script Review

Material Review, Taping, etc.)

Formative Research

Assessment ofNeed

SESAME WORKSHOP PROCESS

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Bangladesh:

• Girls’ Education• Basic Skills• Critical Thinking

Egypt:• Girls’ Education • Basic Skills• Health

Mexico:• Health, Safety,

Nutrition• Environment• Gender Equity• Literacy

Northern Ireland:• Mutual Respect &

UnderstandingPalestine:

• Self Esteem • Boys’ Empowerment

Russia:• Diversity• Preparation for Life in

an Open SocietySouth Africa:

• Diversity• Literacy, Numeracy, &

Life Skills• HIV/AIDS

Meeting Local Educational Needs

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1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

2. Achieve universal primary education

3. Promote gender equality and empower women

4. Reduce child mortality

5. Improve maternal health

6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

7. Ensure environmental sustainability

8. Develop a global partnership for development

SUPPORT THE UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

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ACHIEVING MAXIMUM REACH and IMPACT

Low Technology

High Technology

Community

Mass Reach

Digital Initiatives

Community Viewing

Training & Child Care Center

Initiatives

Print

Alternative Visual Media

On-Product Messaging

Alternative Broadcast (EDUSAT)

Radio

TV

PR & Advocacy

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Community Outreach

• Through Community Outreach, we address the needs of the most underserved populations by:

• Training caregivers, parents, and local educators to use media as an educational tool

• Providing educational materials to extend the impact of TV and radio

• Materials: • Teachers’ Guides• Videotapes/DVDs• Posters• Classroom Kits• Activity Books • Storybooks • Public Service Announcements

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Community Viewing in Bangladesh

ALTERNATIVE DISTRIBUTION METHODS

Bioscope in India

“Story Pond” in India

Denti-Bus in Bangladesh

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Formative Research: Ensuring Appeal and Comprehension

• Solicit child’s perspective• Conduct one-on-one

interviews (before and after viewing)

• Observe children as they view segments and episodes

• Execute background research to inform materials/curriculum development

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MeasuringImpact

• Sesame Street is the most extensively researched program in the history of television

• Across the globe, studies have shown that Sesame Street productions have:

• EXTENSIVE REACH: Children have access to the series even in rural and low income areas;

• POSITIVE EDUCATIONAL IMPACT:Children learn literacy, numeracy, health, interpersonal relations, and other skills that prepare them for the future.

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Reach

Even children living in deep rural areas have access to Sesame Street.

INDONESIA:

Researchers found that viewership of the JALAN SESAMA television program is high among children living in both urban (71%) and rural (65%) areas (Synovate, 2010).

EGYPT: A multi-wave study in Egypt (Synovate, 2004) found that ALAM SIMSIM reached over 85% of Egyptian preschoolers in both rural and urban areas.

BANGLADESH:A study of SISIMPUR indicated the series reached as much as 70% of the target audience of 4- to 7-year-olds (ACPR, 2007), including 87% of urban children and 62% of rural children. Viewing, especially in rural areas, is augmented by outreach efforts such as mobile community viewings

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68

99.292.9

30

55

85.7 86.7

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Nov OO Feb O1 Dec O1 Oct O4

urban

rural

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Overall Literacy Skills by Age and Exposure

32.940.5

50.760.7

44.554.3

6474.9

54.860.6

7180.6

0

20

40

60

80

100

4 5 6 7Age (Years)

Overa

ll L

itera

cy

Sco

re

No Exposure Some Exposure High Exposure

• Gains in literacy & math Bangladesh [ACPR, 2007, see graph)

India [GyanVriksh, 2008]

Mexico [SEP, 1999]

Russia [Ulitsa Sezam Res Team, 1998]

• Promoting respect & understanding across Cultural Divides

Kosovo [Fluent, 2007]

Israel/Palestine [IJBD, 2002]

Northern Ireland [Queens University, 2009]

• Increased health knowledge Egypt [SPAAC, 2002]

• Changes in knowledge and attitudes about HIV/AIDS

South Africa [Khulisa, 2005, see graph] Tanzania [Borzekowski & Macha, 2009]

• Gains in knowledge about malaria prevention and care

Tanzania [Borzekowski & Macha, 2009, see graph]

Bangladesh

South Africa

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5

20

23

28

29

32

-15

-20 0 20 40Percentage Point Gains

In HIV & AIDS Education Areas (Pre- to Post-Exposure)

Experimental

Control

Basic knowledge

Blood Safety

De-Stigmatization

Coping with Illness

Malaria Knowledge by Location & Exposure

2.42.9

4.13.6

2.9

3.6

4.55.1

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

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Low Exposure High Exposure Low Exposure High Exposure

RURAL URBAN

Mean

Mala

ria K

no

wle

dg

e S

co

re

PRE POST

Tanzania

International Impact: Evidence from Research

Joan Ganz Cooney Center

Our Mission •To foster innovation in children’s learning through digital media

Commitment to:•Championing children’s potential•Research-based innovation•Multidisciplinary collaboration•Engaging the creative community

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Leveraging a Unique Legacy

Recent Research Reports

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Ready-To-Learn Cell Phone Study

Goal•To investigate the effectiveness of using mobile technology to encourage parents to engage children in daily literacy activities

Sample•248 families of young children

Results•75% of lower-income parents and half of middle-income parents reported alphabet video clips helped children learn letters•All participants more likely to initiate letter recognition activities with children after participation, and lower-income participants more likely to initiate letter sound activities as well

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Funded by US Dept. of Education through PBS Ready-To-Learn funds

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22THANK YOU!