Sesame Street for Military Families

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About Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop

What is Sesame Workshop and why does it do what it does?

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children’s television programming with the landmark Sesame Street. Our mission is to help kids grow stronger, smarter, and kinder. We do so in more than 150 countries. Beyond television, the Workshop creates content for multiple media platforms including radio, film, home video, the Internet, mobile devices, gaming consoles, books, magazines, and community outreach. Workshop initiatives focus on a wide range of issues, from math skills and literacy to health, diversity, and military deployment. Initiatives meet specific needs to help kids and families develop critical skills, acquire healthy habits, and build emotional strength to prepare them for lifelong learning.

How do I find out more about Sesame Workshop?

For more information about Sesame Workshop, visit www.sesameworkshop.org.

You can also sign up for a Sesame Workshop newsletter. The Workshop offers four newsletters: Sesame Workshop News, Sesame Family News, Sesame Street Magazine, and Sesame Street Digital. You may sign up for these newsletters here.

Sesame Street

What’s the story behind Sesame Street?

Sesame Street debuted on November 10, 1969. The series was designed to use television to teach preschoolers, and give them skills that would ensure a successful transition from home to school. The show gave kids a head start, and aimed to provide them with the confidence to learn the alphabet, numbers, and social skills.

Since its beginning, Sesame Street has been the most thoroughly researched and tested television show ever produced, and it has received more Emmy Awards than any other program in television history.

Where can I find more Sesame Street content?

For Sesame Street videos, games, playlists, parent articles, and more, visit www.sesamestreet.org.

About Sesame Workshop’s Military Families Initiatives

Talk, Listen, Connect

What is Talk, Listen, Connect?

As many as 700,000 children under the age of five have a parent in the military. Recognizing the need for first-rate media-based resources to support military families, in fall 2006, Sesame Workshop launched the bilingual (English/Spanish), multimedia outreach initiative Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families During Military Deployment (TLC). This critical outreach tool helped military families and their young children cope with the challenges of deployment and build resilience in times of separation and change. The overwhelming response to this program revealed a need for additional resources and in 2008 and 2010, respectively, Sesame Workshop followed up with Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes (TLC 2) and Talk, Listen, Connect: When Families Grieve (TLC 3).

Since its initial launch, Talk, Listen, Connect has expanded to include a free Sesame Street/USO family tour; three PBS primetime specials; Sesame Rooms, bringing toys and furniture to military spaces; and the Military Families Near and Far website.

Where do I find Talk, Listen, Connect videos and related resources?

Talk, Listen, Connect videos are available right here in the Explore by Topic section of the Sesame Street for Military Families website. These videos and related resources, including extensive tips for parents, downloadable child activities, and links to outside websites, are free to all site visitors.

Military families can also order free materials online from Military OneSource.

Families Near and Far.org

What happened to Families Near and Far?

In January 2015, Sesame Workshop, with the support from the Defense Centers of Excellence, began a major redesign of Families Near and Far. This redesign included technological updates allowing these useful resources to be accessed across a wide variety of devices so all of our users are getting the best possible experience. In addition to these technological updates the site has also been re-organized to better suit the needs of military families today. This includes making our videos, tips, and activities the main focus of the site and no longer including an outdated social experience. All of our great resources are still here, just under the new umbrella of Sesame Street for Military Families.

If I had an account on Families Near and Far, are my personal information and family post still available?

No. Sesame Street for Military Families has prioritized our resources for families and will no longer include a signed in experience. Sesame Workshop has not retained any personal information from any of its users from the Families Near and Far site.

Sesame Street for Military Families

What is Sesame Street for Military Families?

Sesame Street for Military Families is a free, bilingual (English and Spanish) website where families can find information and multimedia resources on the topics of military deployments, multiple deployments, homecomings, injuries, grief, and self-expression.

Language and Accessibility

Is the Sesame Street for Military Families site bilingual? How do I change the language setting?

Yes. Sesame Street for Military Families is available in English and Spanish. You can change the language in which you and your family experience the site by clicking the “en español” button, which can be found at the top of every page, including the homepage.

Is the Sesame Street for Military Families website accessible to those with disabilities?

Yes. Sesame Street for Military Families is committed to providing a great experience for all of its users. For specific information about accessibility, please message us at MilitaryFamilies@sesame.org.

How to Contact Us

I still have questions about Sesame Street for Military Families. Who do I contact?

If you have additional questions about how to use the site, or if you are having continued technical difficulties, you can send a message to MilitaryFamilies@sesame.org.