Reports, Reflections, and Research
I have dreamed of working with Sesame Workshop for at least four years. I set my eyes on the prize and now I am spending my summer working with the incredible team of the Indian coproduction of Sesame Street. In addition to attending events, sitting in on creative writing meetings, and meeting muppets, My work with Sesame Workshop India has primarily focused on five projects.
1. Sesame Schoolhouse Manual
Sesame Workshop India has over 50 preschools across India that are operated by trained Sesame Workshop educators and operate as private preschools. In a move to formalize the policies, beliefs, and curriculums of the preschools, I compiled a manual designed to act as an instruction tool for educators. The report details the mission, philosophy, guiding principles, programs, technology integration strategies, syllabi, and assessment tools. This is the first time that all of the manuals and guides for Sesame Schoolhouse Preschools have been in one document which ended up at 280 pages when finished.
2. 10 Lessons in 10 Years
Galli Galli Sim Sim is turning 10 this Summer. The TV show, now in its ninth season, currently reaches over 15 million children each year with 52 episodes focused on helping children (ages 3-8) grow smarter, stronger and kinder. The writing for the 10th season has just begun and we are celebrating this decade with a report. “10 Lessons in 10 Years” engages the voices of muppeteers, actors, producers, writers, and content specialists to tell the story of the 10 primary lessons (love of learning, language, inquiry, creativity, health and hygiene, play, emotions, respect, resilience, and embracing diversity) taught by Galli Galli Sim Sim over 10 years. This document will by complimented with a children’s version of the report. The children’s version will tell the same story of the 10 lessons in the format of a comic book using the characters of Galli Galli Sim Sim.
3. Gender
Sesame Workshop is dedicated to promoting gender parity in education and learning in India. However, their view on gender remains on a binary. With the intent of challenging this binary, I worked with a colleague to produce a report that documents early child gender development, research on transgender youth, and the current transgender climate in India. This brief provides three recommendations for diversifying the organizations approach to gender.
4. Technology
Sesame Workshop uses the power of medias to reach children across the country. The organization uses television, radio, mobile apps, and YouTube videos to support the growth and development of children. To inform decisions made in the future, I am creating a brief that documents the current landscape of media and technology use for educational and international development. This report culminates in four recommendations moving forward.
5. Resilience in Conflict
I have been lucky enough to be a part of a team that is applying for a grant for a new intervention. This intervention will take place in Jammu & Kashmir and will target building the resilience of children, particularly girls, so that they can continue on a normative developmental track through immense adversity. The program would use a multimedia approach to build resilience while promoting traditional academic and social emotional skills.
What if?
