Since November 2011, Baghch-E-Simsim, the Afghan version of Sesame Street, has brought laughter and important lessons about literacy, numeracy and cultural awareness to the children of Afghanistan. We’re excited to share with you this behind-the-scenes look at how one of our newest international co-productions gets made. To learn more about how Baghch-E-Simsim gets made, click here. To learn more about our work in Afghanistan, click here.

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Sesame Workshop is best known for our commitment to the mental and emotional development of children around the world. But we’re also committed to the physical safety of children. That’s why, as part of the U.N.’s Decade of Action for Road Safety, we’ve launched a new major road safety campaign in Australia.

Between 2006 and 2008, there were 6 deaths and 430 seriously injured pedestrians aged 0-14 in the province of Victoria alone. Driveway run-overs in the province resulted in the death of 14 children under the age of six and 73 serious injuries between January 2000 and September 2012.

Our campaign, spearheaded by Sesame Street’s Elmo and Grover, hopes to educate children, parents and teacher on simple road safety practices so in the future children’s lives can be saved. The campaign, created in partnership with Australian child safety advocates Kidsafe, the TAC, RACV and Holden, includes a storybook entitled Elmo Stays Safe: How Furry Little Monsters – and Children – Play Safely. The stories, games and activities in the book help encourage important safety tips like holding a parents hand while crossing the street, treating driveways like roads instead of safe play spaces and using correct restraints when traveling in a car. Additionally, a Community Service Announcement featuring Elmo and Grover is being broadcast on television and social media platforms and urges children and families to play in safe places away from driveways and roads.

To learn more about our efforts to encourage road safety, click here.

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Afghan children in Herat province listen to Baghch-e-Simsim with their mothers.

While Sesame Workshop is best known for the educational television programs we produce both in the United States and around the world, we believe many forms of technology, both old and new, can be an effective way of bringing learning and laughter to children. That’s why an accompanying radio production has been a big part of the success of Baghch-e-Simsim, the Afghan version of Sesame Street. In Afghanistan many households don’t have television; the radio broadcast allows us to ensure that lessons about literacy, numeracy and cultural understanding reach as many children in the country as possible.

In the United States, when we mention iconic Sesame Street Muppets like Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, images of the characters immediately come to mind. But for the children whose only contact with the characters is the Baghch-e-Simsim radio program, they have to imagine what the characters look like. Periodically, around special events like festivals or the New Year, Afghan children send in drawings of Baghch-e-Simsim to the radio stations it airs on and we get a chance to see how their imaginations have brought the show to life. Equal Access, Sesame Workshop’s Afghanistan based radio production partner of Baghch-e-Simsim, sent us some of the children’s drawings they had received, and we wanted to share them with you.

A drawing by Noorina Atta Zada in Kabul province.

A drawing sent in by Jalal ud din in Nangarhar province

Drawings by Nazifa and Shafiq, children in the Nanagar province of Afghanistan.

A drawing of the classic Sesame Street characters by Muhammad Imran, a child in Kapisa, Afghanistan.

A drawing by Kamran and Umer, two children from Nangarhar province.

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Congratulations to the entire Sesamstrasse team for making young children in Germany laugh and learn for the last 40 years.

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This article originally appeared on the Sesame Workshop India site. VisitSesameWorkshopIndia.org to learn more about Galli Galli Sim Sim and all the wonderful work Sesame Workshop India does to improve the lives of and educate the children of India.

Sesame Workshop in India is committed to sustainable projects that enrich children’s lives long after our work is complete. We do this through partnerships, local development, and by investing in the furry heart of our programs—the puppeteers themselves.

Folk traditions of string puppets and shadow puppetry flourished in India long before our Galli Galli Sim Sim television show arrived in 2006. Yet the program’s Muppets represent something new: a sense of humor and emotional depth that connects powerfully with children and opens them to all types of learning.

It’s this quality that attracted actor Manish Sachdeva, whose work with Sesame Street in India has transformed into an enduring passion. Despite having no puppetry experience before his audition for Galli Galli Sim Sim, Manish was chosen from among 2,000 actors to begin training with master Muppeteers from Sesame Street in the U.S. Learning the unusual art of video puppetry took weeks of hands-on mentorship and many rounds of video critiques.

Manish’s character Boombah the Lion is a playful big brother known to a generation of Indian children. Even during training, Manish was urged to explore Boombah’s persona and make him as real as possible. “I started asking ‘What’s his chemistry with other characters? What does he think?’” recalls Manish. “As an artist, you play with it and make it your own.”

The experience—artistic, technical, and social—was excellent preparation for Manish’s next big role. At the end of his tenure on Galli Galli Sim Sim, he started building his own puppets and a company of artists to bring them to life—The Puppet Studio. In its first year, the group produced numerous videos, hosted workshops for children and aspiring puppeteers, and staged an all-puppet version of “The Wizard of Oz.” And Manish is dreaming even bigger, with ambitions for a feature film and TV series that expand the legacy of Muppets in India.

By investing in puppeteers like Manish, Sesame Workshop in India is helping to nurture an art form that can move people in profound ways, giving a voice not only to artists but to children who might otherwise have none.

Living proof is Ghazal Javed, the voice and hands behind Chamki, the much-loved star of Galli Galli Sim Sim. India’s leading woman puppeteer, Ghazal’s career with Sesame Street in India started during her final college exams in 2005. She’s been immersed in puppetry ever since, parlaying her time on the show into a dizzying array of projects, including scriptwriting, documentaries, a soap opera, performing at the Cricket World Cup, and a high-profile government campaign to promote girls’ education.

But her most rewarding work, she says, happens more quietly. In 2011, Ghazal and her partner, who plays the character Googly on Galli Galli Sim Sim, brought a month-long puppet workshop to an orphanage in the embattled region of Kashmir. Working with children whose lives have been torn apart by war, Ghazal worked to create a safe space for them to share their stories.

Ghazal recalls one girl who wrote about how her father was gunned down by militants. At first, she struggled through tears to put words to her tale. Then she picked up a puppet.

“She grabbed this puppet, which she made,” Ghazal says, “and she stood up in front of everyone. She told about losing her parents and how she came to the orphanage. She didn’t flinch. She did it all confidently—with a smile.”

Behold the power of puppets.

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This article originally appeared on the Sesame Workshop India site. Visit SesameWorkshopIndia.org to learn more about Galli Galli Sim Sim and all the wonderful work Sesame Workshop India does to improve the lives of and educate the children of India.

As India surges on the global stage, early education here has never been more important. With 165 million children under age 8, India’s preschools face a daunting task: creating a new generation of global citizens with creative minds and critical-thinking skills that can help the country continue to thrive and compete.

Indian families are eager to give their children the best advantages in a highly competitive world. But India’s current system struggles to deliver. While there are pockets of excellence among India’s preschools, major gaps exist in availability and quality. In many places, preschool lessons are a downward extension of the primary curriculum, relying on memorization and a didactic teaching style that aren’t appropriate for the youngest learners.

To help meet the booming demand for quality education in India, we’re taking our mission into a new arena: Sesame Schoolhouse. This unique social enterprise uses a franchise model to bring world-class early childhood education everywhere it’s needed, at a price that’s reasonable for Indian families.

Developed especially for the needs of children ages 2 to 8, Sesame Schoolhouse creates a continuum of learning through two complementary programs. Sesame Schoolhouse instills the essential building blocks of critical thinking, creativity and curiosity in children 2 to 5. After they enter primary school, we expand on this foundation with hands-on science and math enrichment at Afterschool.

Sesame Schoolhouse was developed through an approach that’s made Sesame Street an icon of engaging education. We put the child at the center of everything we do. We believe that all children have unique potential that should be encouraged. And we know that for children to excel in today’s complex and technology-driven world, they need a new set of tools—social and emotional skills, critical thinking and creativity.

That’s what our Sesame Schoolhouse initiative is all about. Built around the lovable Muppets of Galli Galli Sim Sim, the experience unites highly trained teachers, a lively classroom environment, and collaborative projects that nurture the whole child. Our preschools address six areascritical to early childhood development—cognition, language, social, emotional, physical and cultural diversity—in line with India’s National Curriculum Framework.

A recent global ranking of students’ reading, math and science abilities placed India near the very bottom of the list. We’re working to reverse this trend with Sesame Street Afterschool. Our new enrichment program builds strong foundations in science, math and critical thinking for children ages 6 to 8. Four hours a week, kids engage with scientific concepts through exploratory games and hands-on activities that foster creativity, problem-solving skills, and a sense of curiosity about the world.

How do we know these programs work? Our process is grounded in 40 years of research and proven impact. Numerous studies tell us that children who are exposed to Sesame Street content are more confident, active, curious and inclusive. In short, they’re better prepared for school and life. And this commitment to research is ongoing: we’re already studying how to make our school experience more effective.

Sesame Schoolhouse preschool and afterschool programs are anticipated to open across Northern India in Spring 2012. Each location receives complete training, curriculum guidelines, and classroom materials from Sesame Workshop in India. This sustainable approach ensures our energizing brand of learning can thrive wherever there’s a need. The business will expand to reach families across India within ten years.

That’s excellent news for millions of active and curious little minds, and for India’s next big act on the global stage.

To learn more about our preschools visit www.sesameschoolhouse.in

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U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, Sesame Workshop CEO Melvin H. Ming and Takalani Sesame's Kami

Throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia there are numerous health risks that threaten women and children. Diarrhea, pneumonia, malnutrition and obesity extend across borders and impact millions. That’s why we are reaffirming and deepening our commitment to the United Nation Secretary General’s Every Woman Every Child movement. The movement aims to mobilize and intensify global efforts to improve the health of women and children around the world.

In addition to its support for Every Woman Every Child, Sesame Workshop is seeking to collaborate with organizations to help support an unprecedented new global health initiative, “Healthy Children, Health Lives Around the World.” Through this program Sesame workshop will aim to improve the lives of millions of women and children by harnessing the power of educational media and the enduring charm of the Sesame Street Muppets to promote health awareness, knowledge and positive health choices globally.

As part of our support for Every Woman, Every Child, Sesame Workshop has produced a public service announcement featuring Kami from Takalani Sesame, the South African version of Sesame Street, and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“I am deeply grateful to Sesame Workshop for lending its creativity, passion and global popularity to Every Woman Every Child, which is working to save millions of lives,” said Ban Ki-moon. “I am proud to partner with Kami and her friends, who can advance the global health agenda around the world in ways I never could.  I hope others will join our global movement for the health of every woman and every child.”

Sesame Workshop’s approach brings together local educators, child development specialists, researchers, producers, writers, and artists to develop programs that meet the developmental needs of children in a particular country or region. In Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, we produce multimedia initiatives promoting general health and hygiene. In South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Lesotho, our multimedia campaign is working towards ensuring parents, children and educators have all the information they need to combat HIV and AIDS as well as respect those already afflicted. And in India, Bangladesh, Indonesia and China, our multimedia approach is working to make sure that parents and children have all the information necessary to practice water safety, hygiene and good nutrition.

“For 43 years, Sesame Workshop has been making a meaningful difference in the lives of children by addressing their critical developmental needs through innovative and engaging educational content,” said H. Melvin Ming, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop. “We’ve reached hundreds of millions children and families in over 150 countries worldwide, including many who would otherwise have no access to early childhood education.”

Click here to learn more about the work Sesame Workshop does to improve the lives of children around the world.

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Dr. Fuster, who hails from Barcelona, Spain, is the former president of the American Heart Association and the World Heart Foundation. As the Chair of the Committee on Preventing the Global Epidemic of Cardiovascular Disease for the Institute of Medicine (IOM), he is a prominent advocate for cardiovascular health around the globe.

Barrio Sésamo’s Dr. Ruster may not be as achieved as his real life inspiration, but he’s equally dedicated to helping keep hearts healthy. In the Muppet doctor’s own words, “I have dedicated myself to that miraculous, beautiful organ… the heart!  My heart jumps at the chance to spend time with my furry friends in Barrio Sésamo. We love to exercise and eat scrumptious fruits and veggies together. But most of all, I just love to talk to my friends helping them get to the heart of any matter.”

Dr. Fuster, who first collaborated with Sesame Workshop in 2006 to promote cardiovascular health in Colombia, serves as an international advisor on Sesame Workshop’s Global Health Initiative. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death around the world, and the goal of the initiative is to measure health improvements in children and build global partnerships to address their critical health issues. Many studies show that childhood obesity leads to cardiovascular disease, thru an increase in cardiovascular disease risk factors such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In 2010 the number of overweight children under the age of five globally was estimated to be over 42 million.

To learn more about Dr. Fuster and the work he does to promote cardiovascular health, visit MountSinai.org.

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Millions of families in India are cut off from information that can help children grow up healthy, happy, and ready to learn. To get around the barriers that marginalize these families, Sesame Workshop India is using phones to make educational media an integral part of the community. The poor and deeply conservative village of Nagina in the Mewat district if Haryana does not have electricity. Children here have never seen a radio or TV before, let alone a Bollywood movie.

Yet there is one media source that’s breaking through in Nagina. In the evenings, children and parents gather around a mobile phone to tune in Radio Mewat, a nearby community radio station. What are they hearing? Laughter mixed with learning, as characters from Galli Galli Sim Sim talk about literacy and math lessons, as well as good nutrition and healthy habits like always washing hands before you eat.

This audacious children’s health initiative, known as RadioPhone, is the first of its kind ever in communities like Nagina. The need for health lessons is critical here, where basic knowledge of nutrition and hygiene is scarce. Each year throughout India, approximately 1.9 million children under age five die from preventable diseases.

The pilot program began in 2011 with 31 episodes of Galli Galli Sim Sim broadcast by Gurgaon Ki Awaaz (GKA), a community station in Gurgaon, accessible via FM radio and on cell phones. So far Galli Galli Sim Sim RadioPhone broadcast in Gurgaon has reached over 200,000 listeners.

In separate subprojects funded by Qualcomm and HSBC, families and classrooms use 3G-equipped phones to stream Galli Galli Sim Sim radio shows on demand and access related videos and print materials that reinforce healthy messages. Community radio broadcasts are typically limited to a radius of 10 kilometers. But streaming content enables a far larger audience and consistent access for migrant families constantly on the move.

Given the great diversity of culture and language in India, RadioPhone relies on local relevance to break through. GKA in Gurgaon broadcasts in the language of its listeners and episodes include segments featuring Chamki, the beloved star of Galli Galli Sim Sim, interviewing neighbors in the local broadcast area.

By becoming part of the community experience, RadioPhone is giving families a voice. GKA reports an enthusiastic response from listeners, who call in to offer feedback and ask questions of health experts on air. More amazingly, listeners are using the program as a forum to share community concerns such as water access issues. Women are calling in to the show as well, a sign we’re making in-roads where other media cannot.

To understand where our efforts can have the biggest impact, we’re also bringing the program to life in 10 schools with “Healthy Habits” educational materials and curriculum guidance for teachers, with support from HSBC Bank.

Next for RadioPhone: nine more community stations, anticipated to reach over 1.5 million new listeners, and an expanded curriculum, with 60 new episodes on literacy and math now in the works. By combining local radio, mobile technology and engaging Sesame education, we’re delivering critical information to families whose health may depend on it.

Partners

Schwab Charitable Trust, Qualcomm, The Restoring Force (HSBC)

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The site, which launched on May 30, is targeted at the parents and teachers of children ages 4-8, as well as the children themselves. The site includes games that help teach concepts that are critical for school readiness, “tips” and parental guides for caregivers, and introductions to Tonton, Juljul and Elmo, the furry friends children see when they watch Hikayat SimSim. Over time additional games, videos and stories will be added to the site as well.

Since 2003, when Hikayat SimSim first aired, Sesame Workshop has been helping the children of Jordan acquire the educational foundation necessary to achieve their full potential. As an organization we have a firm belief that educational messages are better retained if experienced on multiple platforms. That is why we are so excited to add an online component to our educational efforts in Jordan.

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