Popular entertainment show, ‘Sesame Street’ is celebrating its Golden Jubilee with events throughout the year, the team behind the children’s production have announced in a statement on Sesame Street Workshop website.
According to the statement, the landmark anniversary celebration will include new initiatives, a star-studded primetime special, digital campaigns and community events that reflect Sesame Street’s unifying messages.
The statement said, “Today, 50 years later, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, announced a yearlong anniversary celebration to mark the occasion. Throughout 2019, Sesame Workshop will bring people together around the timeless lessons that Sesame Street has always taught: everyone, no matter who they are or where they are from, is equally deserving of respect, opportunity—and joy.”
Giving some background as to how it all began the statement said,against the backdrop of the civil rights movement and the war on poverty, in which ‘Sesame Street’ was set, the programme was created to answer a simple question—could television be used to level the playing field and help prepare less advantaged children for school?
“The founders tapped educational advisors and researchers, entertainers and television producers, and other visionaries to create what became the longest-running children’s show in American television history,” it said.
Based on a curriculum that evolves to meet the needs of every new generation ‘Sesame Street’ now shows in 150 countries including Nigeria and is aired in 70 languages and has helped children all over the world “learn, feel included and respect others.”
Jeffrey D. Dunn, Sesame Workshop’s Chief Executive Officer was quoted in the release as saying, “This is a remarkable milestone for kids, for education and for television. ‘Sesame Street’ has now brought the life-changing benefits of early learning to children around the globe for 50 years. Our mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder knows no geographic boundaries. We’re everywhere families are and we never stop innovating and growing. That’s what keeps us timeless.”
According to team ‘Sesame Street’, among the exciting lineup for fans in 2019 as they celebrate the past, present and future of their furry friends are:
A 50th television season which focuses on the power of possibilities, empowering kids to take safe risks and learn from their mistakes.
A nationwide road trip where Sesame Street characters and friends host community events in ten cities around the country.
An expansion of the growing Sesame Street in Communities initiative, addressing issues including substance abuse and foster care to better support vulnerable children and families.
The launch of a new local version of Sesame Street created for displaced Syrian families and their new neighbors in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, as part of a large-scale early childhood intervention in the region.
A signature research report that will explore an important issue facing kids and families today.
Celebrity- and fan-fueled social media campaigns including #ThisIsMyStreet, showcasing favorite Sesame Street memories.
New collaborations across fashion, lifestyle, and themed entertainment for Sesame Street fans of all ages.
A November star-studded prime-time special, featuring new takes on classic segments and visits from Sesame Street icons.
Joan Ganz Cooney, Co-Founder, said, “We’re often asked what Sesame Street’s legacy will be,”. “To me, a legacy is when something’s over…and this isn’t over.”
Another co-founder, Lloyd Morrisett, added that, “Sesame Street had a profound impact on children’s media, setting a template that the industry has followed for generations. Fifty years later, Sesame Workshop continues to deliver on its mission every day, across multiple platforms, on six continents. We started as an experiment – and it worked.”
Sesame Workshop will release details about upcoming events and activities throughout the year.
The show which began in 1969, brought something new to the entertainment industry by creating a street where colourful muppets and humans lived and learned, side by side.
