(JACKSON, Miss.) – Friday, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Jackson Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Errick Greene announced that Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, has provided 1500 distance learning kits to the City. The learning kits were given in an effort to support the City and JPS with engaging families in continuous learning opportunities, especially those without regular access to online resources.
“The City is overjoyed to have a relationship with Sesame Street which has been working for generations to educate young people and to fill the educational gap through creative learning processes. And so, Sesame Street, true to its history, has stepped in the same regard here in the City of Jackson and we are abundantly blessed to have them alongside us,” said Mayor Lumumba.
The City of Jackson initially reached out to Sesame Workshop in April after learning about their teaching resources designed to help parents and young children manage through COVID-19 as part of their Caring for Each Other initiative. “We are very excited to receive this generous donation from Sesame Street and we anticipate that we will have deeper engagement with them in the future,” said Chief Administrative Officer, Dr. Robert Blaine.
He also explained that the learning kits will help to enhance the City’s Ready to Learn Universal Pre-K program. The learning kits consist of books and activity booklets geared toward children aged 0-6 years old, which include: Talking is Teaching, which helps children express their thoughts and learn about the world around them, Book Buddies, which teaches reading and building basic vocabulary skills, and the Brave, Strong, Resilient Family Guide, which focuses on providing love and support to children to help them build confidence and overcome challenges together as a family. Additional digital resources for learning at home and coping with COVID-19 are available at SesameStreet.org/caring.
“Jackson Public Schools is thrilled to partner with the City of Jackson in promoting early literacy. With these high-quality and intuitive resources donated by Sesame Street, Jackson parents are better positioned as partners in educating their children. School is out for the summer, but this helps to ensure that learning doesn’t end,” said Jackson Public Schools Superintendent, Dr. Errick Greene.
The Sesame Street learning kits are available for daycare providers, teachers, and parents and children to help them learn and do together – and is part of Sesame Workshop’s Sesame Street in Communities program to provide valuable resources to children, parents, and caregivers.
“Through our Sesame Street in Communities program, we’re thrilled to work together with the City of Jackson to support early learning for children during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rochelle Haynes, Vice President of US Social Impact, Sesame Workshop. “At a time when so many families are facing unprecedented challenges, we share a commitment to ensuring that all families, particularly the most vulnerable, have the tools they need to foster early learning at home.”
Distribution of the learning kits will be coordinated with JPS. For more tips and resources, visit: https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/ .
About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re present in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically-funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org.