Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, released new bilingual videos and resources as part of their Coming Together initiative to help families have open and honest conversations with young children around diversity and celebrating their own unique identities. The new resources, which are free and available in English and Spanish, can be found at SesameStreetinCommunities.org.
The resources launching today aim to help children take pride in who they are, respect differences, and build the confidence to ask questions — three key ingredients for building community and a sense of belonging. The content features Ji-Young, a Korean American Muppet recently introduced in the “See Us Coming Together” special, as well as new Sesame Street neighbors, 5-year-old Wes and his dad, Elijah. Along with Abby, Elmo, and Rosita, the friends celebrate who they are on the inside and outside, explore the differences between themselves and others, and appreciate the diversity of their community.
“Sesame Workshop has always been dedicated to helping children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder in all aspects of their lives,” said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President of US Social Impact, Sesame Workshop. “These past few years have presented unprecedented challenges for children everywhere, and these resources are here to help children foster their self-identity, connections to others, and appreciate the diversity of the world around them.”
The new resources include:
- The Welcome Garden: By working together on a community rock garden, the Sesame Street friends help everyone feel included in their community.
- Community Song: Ji-Young, Abby, Elmo, Rosita, and Wes celebrate how they each bring something different and special to their community.
- Musical Show and Share: By showing each other the different instruments they play, Rosita, Elmo, Wes, and Ji-Young create their own harmony.
- Welcome to Our Garden, an interactive art activity that accompanies “The Welcome Garden” video, letting children add their own rocks to the Sesame Street garden to reflect how everyone brings something unique to a community.
- Printable pages to help children explore their identities, similarities and differences with others, and much more.
- New article for parents and providers to help children learn about themselves, others, and the world around them through curiosity, conversation, community, celebration, and character.
This package of resources is part of Coming Together, Sesame Workshop’s ongoing commitment to fostering children’s positive identity, including race, ethnicity, and cultural identities. Content is released on a rolling basis and available to parents and caregivers at SesameWorkshop.org/ComingTogether.