Indiantelevision.com's Kidology: Sesame's 2nd defence families' outreach project on
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
Indiantelevision.com's Kidology
 
 
Sesame's 2nd defence families' outreach project on
 
Indiantelevision.com Team
(30 April 2008 6:00 pm)
 

MUMBAI: Sesame Workshop, the non profit organisation behind Sesame Street, has launched 'Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes' which is the second phase of its military outreach programme launched initially in 2006.

The initiative provides support and offers significant resources for military families with young children experiencing the effects of deployments, multiple deployments or when a parent returns home changed due to a combat related injury.

The announcement was made by Sesame Workshop CEO president Gary E. Knell.

According to statistics, as many as 700,000 children under the age of five have a parent in the military.

Due to the success of the first phase, 'Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families During Military Deployment', as well as the overwhelming support the first kit generated from the military community, the need was clear to launch this second phase.

The second phase of the programme seeks to:

  • · Reduce the level of anxiety children may experience during homecomings after multiple deployments
  • · Help parents with ways to cope with multiple deployments
  • · Help young children gain an age-appropriate understanding of a parent’s injury by including them and the entire family in the rehabilitation process
  • · Reassure children that they are loved and secure and that together with their families, they can learn new ways of being there for one another and having hope for the future

“With an increasing number of military parents experiencing multiple deployments and a parent coming home injured, more than ever, these families need help navigating the ups-and-downs of these experiences with their children as well as ways to support one another and find resiliency in the face of change.

"We hope with the help of their friends from Sesame Street they will continue to discover ways they can continue to forge family bonds despite the situations they may encounter,” said Knell.

The resources will consist of a bilingual (English/Spanish) multimedia outreach kit with DVDs for children and adults starring the muppets from Sesame Street, print materials for children, parents and caregivers and facilitators and American Greeting postcards featuring the beloved Sesame Street characters for parents and children to stay connected.

Sesame Workshop will produce and distribute 500,000 kits at no cost to individual families, schools, child care programmes, family support programmes, hospitals and rehabilitation centers and other organizations serving the needs of military families with the help of Military OneSource, the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH), the USO (United Service Organizations), the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and other partners.

Special emphasis will be made to reach families of the Reserves and National Guard.

The kit materials will also be available online at www.sesameworkshop.org/tlc, where streaming video is being provided by the Department of Defense Military Community and Family Policy Program Support Group, so that families everywhere can view the videos and download the information.

In continuing efforts to keep families connected, Sesame Workshop will unveil the enhanced Talk, Listen, Connect Web experience in Fall 2008.

Supporting the outreach materials, the enhanced Web site will feature fun and interactive activities for families to share together and stay connected.

Finally, Sesame Workshop will assess the programme's effectiveness with spouses of military personnel who have been injured or experienced multiple deployments, and have a young child.

Sesame Workshop routinely conducts these assessments in order to focus future outreach programs more effectively.

 
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