ALAM SIMSIM UNVEILS AGENDA FOR TENTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak Is First To Receive Sesame Workshop Pioneer Award
Alkarma Edutainment, Sesame Workshop and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today the agenda for the tenth anniversary celebration of Alam Simsim, the award winning television program for pre-schoolers in Egypt.
In a press conference held today, the organizers announced that they will present First Lady Suzanne Mubarak with the Sesame Workshop Pioneer Award in recognition of her strong support for the program since its inception in 1997. The award ceremony will be incorporated into Alam Simsim’s 10th anniversary celebration. A major conference on Monday, April 23, 2007 will also accompany the celebration with a panel of local and international experts addressing how best to continue Alam Simsim's positive impact on Egypt’s children.
"The education conference is an excellent venue to explore new methods of educating children through the media while reflecting on what Alam Simsim accomplished," said Alkarma Edutainment Chairman Amr Koura. "With the popularity that Alam Simsim today, enjoys among millions of Egyptian children, we welcome corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives from private and public organizations who would like to contribute to societal development," Koura said.
"It is our pleasure to present Mrs. Mubarak with this award in honor of her tireless efforts as a champion of education," said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop. "We share in her commitment to bring relevant content to children in all forms of media to help them to reach their highest potential."
Following the award ceremony, which will also be attended by Egypt's Minister of Information Yousry El-Gamal and Minister of Education Anas El-Fiqqi, a major conference with international experts will focus on ways that Alam Simsim can best continue to have a measurable impact on young children. The conference program will reflect upon Alam Simsim's success in its several endeavors, which include an extensive parental outreach training program for caregivers of children across Egypt, diverse conclusive research findings detailing the impact of both media and outreach training on the viewership and change in attitude and behavior amongst children and adults, as well as case studies of successful local and global promotional licensing and sponsorship initiatives promoting positive public-private partnerships
The conference will chart a course for the program’s continued growth and success in Egypt and the broader Arabic-speaking region. Prominent members of national and multi-national businesses, broadcast media, government, non-government organizations (NGOs) such as the World Food Program, early childhood education leaders, and donor organizations are attending the event.
The conference will also reveal research findings about the content of Alam Simsim, which teaches important topics for young children such as health, the environment, letters and numbers, while encouraging children to be proud of who they are, appreciate different ways of life and respect each other—all in fun and engaging ways. It will also explore different methods of engaging various members of the private, public, NGO, and broadcast sectors to form public-private partnerships, which will help sustain the show for years to come.
“We at USAID are proud of our involvement in helping Alam Simsim contribute to the education of young Egyptians,” said Kenneth Ellis, USAID Egypt Director. "We look forward to Alam Simsim's continued success in the future."
Alkarma Edutainment, the Cairo-based leading provider of educational entertainment media programs in the Arab world, partnered with Sesame Workshop, a non-profit global organization with a mission to harness the power of media to help children around the world to reach their highest potential, to produce Alam Simsim. The program has captivated the minds of young children in Egypt since its inception in 1997.
Alam Simsim incorporates an innovative curriculum created by Egyptian educators, child development experts, scriptwriters, and filmmakers to encourage children to develop positive self-esteem and self-image, to respect and appreciate others, to celebrate Egyptian culture, and to encourage a life-long love of learning. This has made Alam Simsim a cultural force in Egypt that is loved by children, trusted by parents and respected by educators.
Targeted to preschoolers, Alam Simsim incorporates humor, music and daily life situations to provide valuable life lessons. Alam Simsim is produced in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, which helps maintain the educational content of the show, and the Ministry of Information, which supports the series by facilitating broadcast on Egyptian television. Funding for the series has been provided by a grant from USAID through the Ministry of Education and under the Ministry’s supervision.
Contact
Adel Elbendary
Fourth Dimension Public Relations (LLC)
14 Syria st., Mohandseen 12411, Cairo, Egypt
Mobile: (2) 012 212 3462
Tel: (202) 760 9988
Fax: (202) 762 3093
Email: adel@fdpr.net
Tarek Amin
Managing Director
alkarma edutainment
6 Ibn Miyasser St. Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt
Tel: (202) 737-6767 / 6464
Fax: (202) 735-4167
Email: press@alkarma.com
