Sesame Workshop launches free video series: “Build A Better World”

NEW JERSEY — Helping others, working together and being kind are some of the important life lessons children learn in a free video series from the nonprofit organization behind the popular children’s show “Sesame Street.”

Sesame Workshop recently released a series of new videos in collaboration with Newark-based PSEG Foundation as part of its Little Neighbors: Building a Better World Together initiative. Learn more and view available videos/resources here.

The goal? To teach children how to “build a better world together.”

The lessons cover topics such as family, community and the environment. The new materials in English and Spanish include videos, printable activities and articles in which Elmo, Abby and other friends from Sesame Street explore different aspects of community involvement:

• In “A Garden of Support,” Abby, her mother Maggie, her stepbrother Rudy, and other Sesame Street friends work together to clean up the community garden.
• “Little Helpers, Big Help” follows Abby and Maggie as they help a Twiddlebug family build a playground to show that a small gesture can make a big difference.
• In “Helping Home, Helping the Neighborhood,” Julia helps her mom Elena clean bins for the community center, and the whole family searches at home for things to donate to the local fundraiser.
• In “Little Neighbors Can Do Big Things,” Elmo and Abby build a birdhouse to make the new resident of the street feel welcome.

Additional resources include six printable activities: “Helping and Caring,” “Julia’s Community Mural,” “Playground Helper,” “Shared Path,” “Cleaning Up the Community Garden,” and “Community Connections,” as well as two articles titled “Empowering Kids to Make Big Differences in Their Community” and “Getting Kids Excited about Nature and Community: Outdoor Activities and Adventure.”

The new resources were recently unveiled at a World Environment Day event in Paterson, attended by Mayor André Sayegh, representatives from the PSEG Foundation and Sesame Workshop.

The children in attendance were rewarded with a special guest appearance from a familiar face: Elmo.

“We know that children are naturally curious and eager to learn about the world around them,” says Jeanette Betancourt, senior vice president of US Social Impact at Sesame Workshop.

“By providing them with tools and resources to actively engage in their communities, we are laying the foundation early on for children to learn to be kind, compassionate and respectful of others and to make a positive difference in the world,” Betancourt said.

Rick Thigpen, senior vice president of corporate citizenship at PSEG, said the organization is proud to have the opportunity to help children “develop an environmental consciousness.”

“We know that when children follow their curiosity and become passionate about protecting our planet, they often become catalysts for change in their families and communities,” Thigpen said.

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