Sesame Workshop and Bear Stearns, a leading investment banking and securities trading and brokerage firm, have teamed up to launch a new educational outreach program designed to help children 2-5 and their families prepare physically and emotionally for the challenges of today's complex world and the possibility of confronting traumatic events.
"Within the past five years, families and their children across the United States have been faced with a wide range of emergencies, including hurricanes, storms, floods, wildfires, and the ongoing threats of terrorism," said Gary E. Knell, president/ceo of Sesame Workshop. "This initiative will offer practical strategies and activities that adults and children can use to prepare for these types of events, and to deal with the stress of these unsettled times."
"Bear Stearns has a longstanding commitment to philanthropy," said James E. Cayne, chairman/ceo of Bear Stearns. "Our philosophy is to identify opportunities where we have the potential to make a significant difference. By partnering with Sesame Workshop, we will be able to give families the tools to talk through difficult topics and be better prepared for traumatic events. This is especially important as the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is upon us and we approach the fifth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11th. We are proud to be a part of this initiative."
The bilingual (English/Spanish) kit will help adults explain to young children various ways they can be physically and emotionally prepared for an emergency. It will offer tips on how families can prepare their children for an emergency in age-appropriate ways.
Included will be a print guide for parents and caregivers, a children's activity book and a DVD starring SESAME STREET Muppets in an engaging story about emergency preparedness.
Sesame Workshop will develop 25,000 resource kits for children and their families, which will be distributed in spring 2007 through the health care, emergency preparedness and child care networks of strategic national partners.
As with all Sesame Workshop outreach projects, the themes and content of the initiative will be based on research as well as advice and review from experts in the field of emergency and trauma preparedness, child development and early childhood education. In this effort, a collaboration has been forged with the Department of Pediatrics of Weill Cornell Medical College, whose expertise in the area of child development and emotional trauma will help ensure that the materials are useful, appealing, and highly effective.
"Preparing children for difficult times is a serious endeavor, but it can still both be a fun and important learning experience," said Dr. Evelyn Lipper, associate professor of clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medical College.
This preparedness initiative will be built on the impact of SESAME STREET Kids Kit, a prototype set of materials that was created by Sesame Workshop to address the needs of children and caregivers affected by stressful or traumatic events. These highly effective kits were assembled and delivered during the first week of November 2005 to child care providers in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Founded in 1923, The Bear Stearns Companies Inc. is the parent company of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., a leading international investment banking and securities trading and brokerage firm serving governments, corporations, institutions and individuals. The company has a long history of giving back to the communities in which it operates. All of the firm's approximately 900 senior managing directors donate at least 4% of their annual gross salaries to philanthropic organizations of their choosing. In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Bear Stearns established The Bear Stearns Charitable Foundation, Inc. to help aid those who suffered and are still suffering from the tragedy. Through BearCares, a family of firm-sponsored community and mentoring programs, our employees actively support our neighborhoods and help young people discover their potential to succeed. Headquartered in New York City, the company has approximately 12,500 employees worldwide. For additional information, visit www.bearstearns.com.
The Joan and Sanford I. Weill Medical College-located in New York City-is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine. The Medical College, which is a principal academic affiliate of New York-Presbyterian Hospital, offers an innovative curriculum that integrates the teaching of basic and clinical sciences, problem-based learning, office-based preceptorships, and primary care and doctoring courses. More information is available at med.cornell.edu/.
Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in the lives of children around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary SESAME STREET. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Find more information at www.sesameworkshop.org.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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