KSPS PBS selected to Expand Early Childhood Programs as part of Sesame Street's 50th Anniversary

SPOKANE, Wash. - Nov. 6, 2019 - PRLog -- Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, is partnering with KSPS PBS as part of a new initiative to enhance the early childhood education programs of local PBS stations serving rural communities through the Sesame Street in Communities program. Made possible with generous support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the initiative includes training for local providers who serve preschool children and community events for families, all using the Sesame Street in Communities resources.

KSPS has collaborated with NorthEast Washington ESD101's Center for Early Childhood Services and the Washington State Early Learning Fellows' Network to train childcare providers and early learning educators from Stevens, Ferry, Adams, Lincoln, and Spokane counties on the Sesame Street in Communities resources. During the training sessions, educators received resource toolkits they could use right away with the children they serve.

KSPS also hosted celebrations for the 50^th anniversary of Sesame Street. Nearly 600 families met and took pictures with Elmo at Green Bluff; and free family story-times have been hosted at the Deer Park, Airway Heights, and Cheney library branches.

"Celebrating all things Sesame has been a special way for our station to engage with local families and educators within our community," said Gary Stokes, President and General Manager, KSPS.

Marking the 50^th anniversary of Sesame Street and 50 years of partnership with PBS, the initiative deepens Sesame Workshop's longstanding commitment to using the power of public television to bring critical early learning to children across the country. Sesame Workshop worked closely with WNET New York Public Media to select and collaborate with the 10 selected stations. Each station is partnering with local early childhood programs serving rural families to support the early learning basics of language, literacy, and math.

"Early childhood education is the foundation of a lifetime of learning and development," said Pat Harrison, CPB president and CEO. "...To help celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Sesame Street, we're proud to support this exciting rural community initiative to extend the work of Sesame Street in Communities."

Sesame Street in Communities provides tools for caregivers on the toughest issues children face—particularly on topics where there are few resources for young children. Since 2015, Sesame Street and Communities has supported families on topics ranging from parental addiction to family homelessness—giving children the tools they need to build resilience and grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. The materials, which include videos, storybooks, digital interactives, games, and professional development resources, are available for free—in English and Spanish—at www.sesamestreetincommunities.org (https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%...).