COLOMBIAN CHILDREN SEE THEIR STORIES COME TO LIFE WITH NEW SEASON OF PLAZA SÉSAMO
Sesame Workshop Partners with World Heart Federation on Three-Year Initiative to Provide Engaging Educational Messages to Young Children
New York, NY, and Bogotá, COLOMBIA, April 17, 2006
Colombian children will have the opportunity to participate in the 10th season of Plaza Sésamo and see their stories come to life when the award-winning children’s TV series begins production this month. As part of an effort to showcase the rich cultural diversity of Latin America on Plaza Sésamo, new live action films produced in Colombia will offer a window into Colombia for viewers. Teenagers will be engaged directly in the production process when their “voices” are reflected in live action films that they themselves create. Additionally, primary school children, ages 5 to 9, will be given cameras to take photos of moments in their daily lives. These photos will be used to inspire production of new animated segments. The new season, which features the live action films, launches in October, and the animation segments will appear on Plaza Sésamo’s 11th season airing April 2008. Plaza Sésamo airs on Señal Colombia and Discovery Kids.
Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Plaza Sésamo, in partnership with the World Heart Federation, a global NGO, is implementing the three-year Colombian initiative. Designed to provide educational messages and address health issues and Colombian culture, the project aims to promote child learning on topics of vital importance and increase awareness of the benefit of educational television for children, early childhood care and education, and the role of the parent and family as a child’s first teacher.
“We are proud to partner with the World Heart Federation to identify and address children’s needs in the region on and off air,” said Daniel Victor, Sesame Workshop’s Executive Vice President, International. “By engaging them in the production process, we are giving children a voice and learning tool that will be heard well beyond the borders of Colombia.”
“The World Heart Federation is excited to launch this joint initiative with Sesame Workshop. We need to reach out to children early, and help them make healthy choices that last a lifetime,” said Professor Valentin Fuster, President, World Heart Federation. “The World Heart Federation, through various advocacy and awareness initiatives, aims to bring new knowledge of healthy habits, such as a healthy diet, physical activity and smoke-free living, to children in Colombia and beyond.”
Engaging educational print materials will be produced to complement and extend the impact of the television series. The materials will target children and parents and will be available at pediatrician offices, family and community centers, hospitals, day care facilities.
In addition, a variety of research studies will ensure the program effectively reflects and addresses local needs. Formative research studies will assess children’s local interests so that these can be reflected in the material developed for the project. The studies will also provide information on the appeal and comprehension of Plaza Sésamo content, as it is being developed to further enhance the relevance of the materials. Additionally, an impact evaluation will assess the project’s reach and effectiveness.
Plaza Sésamo features the beloved furry and feathered Muppet characters Abelardo, Pancho and Lola. Each episode combines animation, live action films and original music videos with segments produced on the Plaza Sésamo set to engage children and help them better understand the world around them.
The partners behind Plaza Sésamo are nonprofit educational organization Sesame Workshop, Latin American pay-TV children’s network Discovery Kids, Mexico’s largest terrestrial producer and broadcaster Televisa Niños, and US broadcaster TeleFutura. HIP TV, a division of L.A.-based HIP Entertainment Group, are the Production Supervisors.
The World Heart Federation, a non governmental organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, is committed to helping the global population achieve a longer and better life through prevention and control of heart disease and stroke, with a particular focus on low and middle-income countries. It is comprised of 189 member societies of cardiology and heart foundations from over 100 countries covering the regions of Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Americas and Africa. For further information visit: www.worldheart.org.
Contact
Karen Smadja
Cohn & Wolfe Public Relations
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Karen_smadja@ch.cohnwolfe.com
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