Nov. 5, 2011 – With hundreds of military families gathered here, Sesame Workshop today unveiled a new collection of resources designed to help children stay connected with military loved ones.The “Military Families Near and Far” products, which include a bilingual website and mobile application, encourage elementary school-aged children to express their emotions and to communicate as they undergo challenging military transitions. The resources are a team effort by the iconic kids’ TV programs, Sesame Street and The Electric Company, and are provided in cooperation with the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.
“Our families serve and make tremendous sacrifices every day,” said Charles Milam, the Defense Department’s principal director of military community and family policy. Just as President Barack Obama has made the support and care of military families a top priority, “we at the department are committed to increasing opportunities for military children and their families,” he said.
The new products include Military Families Near and Far, a bilingual website where kids can create networks, draw pictures, create songs and write letters to a deployed parent; Free Electric!, a mobile application that encourages children to explore and express their emotions; an Electric Company magazine for military families; and the Electric Company Extended Learning Program, which is packed with literacy and math-based lesson plans, games, activities and tips.
Sesame’s previous efforts to help military children have been aimed at preschoolers. These new products will enable them to reach older children in an age-appropriate and entertaining way, H. Melvin Ming, Sesame Workshop president and CEO, said at the event. “One size does not fit all,” he noted. “Children learn best when the message is age-appropriate.” read more>>>
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