“M” is for Media

• In Event: Rapid and Relevant: Approaches to Contextual Implementation and Content Adaptation for Acute Emergencies

Proposal

Welcome Sesame unites a diverse set of initiatives with one goal: delivering critically needed early childhood development opportunities to families affected by conflict and crisis. The Welcome Sesame initiative began with responses in the Syrian and Rohingya refugee crisis, and has rapidly expanded to reach families across the Middle East, and Latin America to East Africa and beyond. Each model is adapted to reflect the context, culture, and experiences of children and families in the communities we support. This presentation will explore our library of globally tested educational content, designed to bring playful early learning to children everywhere, with particular attention to the unique needs and experiences of children affected by crises.

Our presentation will provide a general overview of Welcome Sesame, including our mission statement and processes, then dive into a case study on our work in Ukraine. Over the past year Sesame Workshop has mobilized to create and adapt content to serve the needs of children and families affected by the Russian invasion. We used a combination of our globally tested library of educational videos, created and vetted by global advisors to serve the needs of children in crisis, along with bespoke teaching and learning materials created for the adults in children’s lives. We used an abbreviated version of the Sesame Workshop model, which involves research and testing with our target audience at multiple steps of the production process, to ensure that content was culturally relevant and sensitive to the situation at hand. We have also used a variety of distribution channels, including direct service work with partners, online distribution, and social media campaigns, to reach families who need our content most. Throughout our process we have maintained the joy and playfulness combined with education that makes Sesame unique. This presentation will walk viewers through our process.

Authors

• Shanna Kohn, Sesame Workshop

• Kristen Sandmeier, Sesame Workshop