Caring for Each Other

Caring for Each Other is anchored by a web hub, where new videos, songs, stories, and games continue to roll out so children can learn and play with Sesame Street friends whenever they like. Animated public service announcements (PSAs) in 41 languages offer a kid-friendly take on the importance of hand-washing, and printable activities (e.g., colouring pages on staying healthy), videos (e.g., a fun-at-home playlist), and games and apps (e.g., "H is for Handwashing") are meant to educate while entertaining children - in line with Sesame Workshop's edutainment approach. Some of the resources feature Julia, a Sesame Street Muppet with autism, to help children on the autism spectrum deal with COVID-related changes to routines. In addition, content is provided for parents to use with children to spark playful learning, offer them comfort, and help the family thrive. For example, resources for talking with your children include, e.g., an infographic for kids about good hand-washing habits, and a vaccines toolkit is part of the suite of "Sesame Street in Communities Resources". Details are also offered here about how the initiative has been adapted in communities around the world, such as Sesame Workshop India. Digital content has been made available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Bangla, Hindi, and more through Sesame partnerships.

Primetime TV broadcasts showed children the ways Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Big Bird, and friends learned to follow health and safety guidelines and play together from a distance. A series of international televised town halls, broadcast in partnership with the Cable News Network (CNN), answered young viewers' questions about COVID-19, including information about vaccines for children. Furthermore, a 25-minute family special, "Elmo's World News" was launched beginning in Southern Africa and eventually spanned six continents, airing on 38 international broadcasters. The special was translated into 14 languages and incorporated characters from Sesame Workshop's international co-productions, including Sisimpur, Takalani Sesame, Ahlan Simsim, and Sesamo - ultimately reaching an estimated 5.8 million viewers. The English-language version of the special (see below) also launched on the global Sesame Street YouTube page, where it has has garnered over 3.2 million views as of April 2022.

The project's second phase incorporated playful learning content objectives into the production of short-form resources (e.g., e-books, short video) for digital distribution, seeking to address the medium-term needs of families experiencing a protracted crisis. From healthy habits to coping with illness and social-emotional needs, the content was created to help caregivers spark playful learning anywhere, offer children comfort, adapt everyday routines, and focus a bit on themselves. For example, in April 2022, Sesame Workshop launched new resources to address the mental health challenges kids and their caregivers continue to face as they struggle to adapt to the impact and changes brought about by the pandemic. These resources are designed to encourage positive conversations between children, caregivers, and families about separation anxiety and the effects of isolation and unpredictability. Other topics include communicating changes and uncertainty, mitigating parental stress amidst personal loss and economic strains, and normalising asking for help.

For example, five new videos feature popular Sesame Street characters as they learn to handle big changes, practice mindfulness, take care of themselves and their loved ones, and more. In one such video, Grover and Elmo learn about the different ways families say goodbye to kids going back to school and parents returning to work, like giving each other hugs or doing a special "goodbye dance". Videos and resources are being released on a rolling basis globally, including in the Middle East, India, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States (US).

Sesame explains that global advisors were intentionally engaged during the early stages of content development, starting from text drafting for digital and social media assets and scripting for video assets. Advisors from the Middle East, India, Bangladesh, Latin America, and South Africa reviewed all content to provide guidance on appeal and cultural appropriateness. After several iterations, finalised text and scripts transitioned to the design stage. During the design stage, global advisors provided feedback on the relatability of backgrounds and settings to specific contexts around the world, such as the exterior and interior design of homes and the look and feel of outdoor settings such as parks. They also advised on the types and forms of objects depicted, such as soap (bar or liquid), water sources (faucet or tippy tap), and foods (round or loaf bread).

The Caring for Each Other partner page was developed for all digital assets to reside and be accessible to Sesame's global network of implementing partners. Localised content lives on regional Caring for Each Other resource pages, where it is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Hindi; in Bangladesh, the content lives on the Sisimpur e-Learning Platform.

COVID-19, Children

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, families around the world have faced increased levels of stress, among other social and economic challenges. For example, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reports that 14% of people aged between 15 and 24 years reported feeling depressed or had little interest in engaging in activities. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental-health-related emergency department visits in the US rose 24% for children between the ages of 5 and 11 and 31% for those aged between 12 and 17 beginning in April 2020, in comparison to the year before.