Mid-Year Impact Report
Welcome Sesame: Supporting families affected by crisis and conflict
Crisis upends life for everyone, but especially the youngest children. With the support of our partners and donors, Sesame Workshop is able to take action for children whose needs are too often overlooked. In the earliest weeks of recent crises, in Ukraine, Türkiye and Syria, Sudan, and beyond, we tapped into our vast library of educational resources and partnered with local organizations to comfort children and keep them learning in their new “for now” homes.
Results in Action
We partnered with Ukrainian broadcaster PlusPlus to bring 140 new animated Sesame Street segments to help children cope with the trauma of displacement, communicate and process what they are experiencing, and develop a sense of belonging in new places. To date, the content is delivering social-emotional learning to 750,000 viewers and counting in Ukraine and neighboring countries.
A series of new live-action short films, created with our Ukrainian advisors and production team, were deployed to help reinforce positive self-identity and celebrate Ukrainian heritage.
We also developed a teacher training guide for educators to use this new content in their classrooms. In training sessions with 154 Ukrainian educators who work with our local partners, a teacher shared:
Our work in Ukraine was recently featured on PBS NewsHour. Correspondent Jane Ferguson spoke with children, parents, and teachers about how the ongoing war is impacting their lives and the ways that our Welcome Sesame content is bringing them much-needed moments of joy and playful learning amid the continuing crisis.
Following devastating earthquakes that impacted over 18 million across Türkiye and Northwestern Syria — many of whom were already displaced due to ongoing conflict in the region — Sesame Workshop and its partners launched a response campaign promoting mental well-being resources to support the needs of children and caregivers who have experienced traumatic events. The campaign promoted topics including identifying and managing child stress, ensuring that children have a circle of safe, trusted adults for support, and wellness tips from a clinical psychologist.
In response to the Syrian refugee crisis, Sesame Workshop launched Ahlan Simsim, a transformational initiative in partnership with the International Rescue Committee. Ahlan Simsim is bringing early childhood development and playful learning to families affected by crisis in the Middle East through direct services integrated with educational media, including a locally produced version of Sesame Street.
We recently unveiled the first results of Ahlan Simsim’s groundbreaking impact:
- Research shows a combination of our Ahlan Simsim 11-week remote preschool program combined with Ahlan Simsim media is comparable to an entire year of in-person preschool
- Children who watch Ahlan Simsim learn how to name and manage big feelings
- Over 23 million children across the Middle East and North Africa have watched Ahlan Simsim, our Arabic-language version of Sesame Street
In response to the Rohingya and Syrian refugee crises, Sesame Workshop set out to deepen its work in crisis and conflict/the work of Ahlan Simsim by launching Play to Learn in 2018. In partnership with BRAC and the International Rescue Committee, this trailblazing program provides children affected by crisis opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive. In contexts where children are living through compounded crises including conflict and displacement, pandemic, and natural disasters, Play to Learn is unlocking the power of play to inject hope and joy into their daily lives.
This innovative program is already creating impact in its target geographies and beyond:
- Our Play to Learn program has reached more than 800,000 children, caregivers, and facilitators in Bangladesh, Jordan, and Lebanon to date
- Our all-new library of 140 educational videos has reached more than 30 million viewers in 19 languages in 28 countries to date
Supporters & Partners
Visionary partners power our mission to help children grow stronger, smarter and kinder. Thanks to their financial and strategic support, Sesame Workshop is reaching more families, educators, and community providers today than ever in our history.
Funding Partners
Meet some amazing organizations collaborating with us on behalf of children around the world.
New Donors
New Donors
Anderson Beckham
Roger Beermann
Warren Behan
Christina Bellantoni
Nikolaus Belling
Benito Benavente
Olivia Benson
Sandra Berezowitz
Katie and J.R. Berger
Anurima Bhargava
Kevin Bielke
JoAnn Bingham
Tony Birkley
Melody Bizzell
Gail Bjornsen
Kevin Blackston
Raymond Blackton
Marissa Blake
Lisa Blandeburgo
Albert Bodaski
Lorna Bodian
Peter Pazumas Bodycomb
Danielle Boggie
Brandon Bolden
Michelle Bonk
Mary Borgia
Shirley Bosler
Christopher Boudreau
Thomas Boutell
Alyssa Boykin
Robert Boyle
Rita Bramble
Ruth Brannon
Carol Bratt
Helen Breter
Ramon Breton
Joseph Brill
Lyle Brinn
Bobby Briscoe
Kathleen Brophy
John Brown
Brenda Brown
Jennifer Brown
Rachel Brown
Steven Brozinsky
Donna Bruce
Kristen Bruno
Laurel Abbott
James Abel
Suzanne Abrano
Justina Acevedo-Cross
Maribeth L. Ackerman
Eileen Adams
Kelly Adams
Jane Ahern-DeFillippi
Sana Ahmed
Kay Aiken
John Alexander
Marguerite Allard
Connie Almy
Itamar Amrany
Collette Andersen
Lea Ann Andrews
Ann Apostolico
Micaela Argano
Jackie Argiro
Richard Arnold
Sarah Arnold
Greg Aronowitz
Elaine Asevedo
Lyle Ashelford
Sandra Atkins
Gregory Auberry
Kathleen Austin
Emily Ayala
Amy Bagnall
Lisa Bailey
Anne Baker
Scott Baker
Dorothy Bald
Nicole Ball and Milton Leitenberg
Monica Bane
Marianne Barbara
Kenneth Bardach
James Barker
Delroy Barnes
Terry Barone
Jessica Bass
Pauline Bates
Anne and John Battagliola
Keri Baughman
Tom Bruns
David Bryant
Doris Bryant
Suzann Buchta
Lauren Buford
Theresa Bulatovie
Pamela Burnell
Sergey Butkevich
Cynthia Caja
Lawrence Camberg
Amy Campbell
Christine Campos
Patty Cannizzo
Jenna Capeci
Christa Cappiali
Jordan Cardinale
Joan Carey
Valerie Carrick
Calandra Carter
Jarred Carter
Lawrence Carter
Matt Carter
Maggie Caulfield
Adelaide Caunan
Craig Cedotal
Maria Cenzoprano
Eli Chambers
Sharon Chan
Asheem Chandna
Jasper Chang
Rachel Chanoff
Nichole Charfoos
Rachel Charlesworth
Kevin Charlton
Roni and Mark Chasin
Kimberly Chester
Andrea Chiesa
Christina Chin
Joseph Chiplock
Bonnie Chmil
George Chokos
Mary Cimbalo
Rhett Cisneros-King
Michelle Clark
Susan Clark
Clive Clarke
Kevin Clayton
Linda Clements
Karen Cocchi
Ernest Cockrell
Brandon Codi
Nancy Coe
Kenneth Cohen
Sheldon Cohen
Hinda Cole
Heather Coles
Carol Collins
Catherine Collins
Sophia Collins
Susie Collins
Tricia Collins
Linda Concannon
Wade Connick
Patrick Conroy
Thomas Conway
Helen Cook
Reuben Cornel
Michael Correy
Ashley Corrigan
Robert Corrigan
Jessica Eugenia Navarro Cortes
Felix Cortes Vargas
Sandra Cosco
Karen and Barry Cosme
Mary Costin
Patricia Costner
Eric Courtney
Keelan Crampsey
Alex Crane
Daniel Crawford
Joy Crawford
Nadine Creighton
Amy Cresswell
Charles Cron
Roberta Crump-Burbank
Thomas Cummingham
Claudia Cummings
Ray Cunningham
Carol Currier-Frighetto
Mary Curro
Corrina Dacista
Robert Daitz
Nate Dal Cais
Andrew Daly
Emma Dance
Marquerite Daniels
Michael Daniels
Mousumi Das
Travis Daub
Martin Davidson
Richard Davidson
Scott Davis
Shan Davis
Caitlin Davy
Emily Day-Shumway
Michael Deadrick
Regine DeJean
Nancy DeLaney
John DeLaporte, III
Marie Dell’Anno
Devra Densmore
Gail Derr
Mitul Desai
Julia and Vilas Dhar
Remidene Diakite
Zoila Diaz
Liz and Eric DiBartolo
Megan DiBartolo
Jessica DiBiasi
Donald Dick
Donna Dinardo
Les Dinerstein
Ioan-Mihail Dinu
Kiley Dix
David Dixler
Behnam Djahed
David Dobos
Cathy Doces
Charles Dolan
Jean Marie Dollard
Alexander Dolmans
Elizabeth Donley
Christy Doramus
Kimberly Dorsett
Vivian Dorwart
Lynetta Dotson
Virginia Doyle
Lance Drane
Dennis Draper
Richard Drummond
Judith Dubin
Elizabeth DuFour
Eleanor Dugan
Patrick Dunne
Elizabeth Durst
Tom Durst
Nancy Dyer
Patricia Eagleman
Margaret Earl
Faith Earll
Stebon Eddy
Timothy Edwards
Patricia Edwards
Christina Eidel
Bruce Eisenberg
Jeanette Eisenmesser
Pat Eklund
Mary Elam
Christopher Ellis
Beverly Elsner
Emily Eng
Thomas Enochs
Margaret Erickson
Whitney Eskew
Rachel Estrada
Martha Evans
Josh Eye
Annie Eyer
Mike Ezzell
David Falcetti
Matthew Farabee
Susan Farkas
Kimberly Farmer
JoAnna Fava
Melanie Feilder
Rebecca Felix
Roberta Fenwick
Michael Feola
Carmen Figueroa
Christopher FIgueroa
Ana Fischer
Kathryn Fiteson
Ernest Flagg
Lorette Fleming
Jeri Florence
Rachel Flynn
Andrew Foerster
Andrew Garland Forshee
Irene Gaudreau
Christine Gaul
Nancy Gauss
Rebecca Fournier
R.L. Franti
Michael Freeman
Sharon Freitas
Christopher Friedel
Steven Friedland
Barbara Friedman
Josh Friedman
Jerry Ann Fritchey
Matthew Frohnhoefer
Austin Fuller
Lois Funai
Edmour Gagnon
Vincent Gajkowski
Prashast Gandiga
Boris Ganetsky
Laura Garcia
David Gardos
Carrie Gargas
JoAnne Garrity
John Geary
Vincent Geary
Asya Geller
Matthew Gelman
John Gerth
Walter Gertz
Didier Ghez
Virginia Gibson
Jesse Gill
Houston Gilliand
Peter Gillis
Alex Giorgio
Greg Giovanini
Michael Giurlando
Amy Glazebrook
Adam Gle
Marguerite Glicklich
Beverly Glidewell
Rosie Godfrey
David Goering
Heather Goff
Aaron Goldberg
Debra Goldstein
Seth Goldstein
Annabel Gong
Rene Gonzalez
M.Jane Goodfriend
Sheldon Gordon
Annie Goto and Kelly Lynch
Anne Gottlieb
Preeth Gowdar
Ruby Graves
Wanda Green
Kevin Grier
Gary Grindler
Katie Grosvenor
Stephen Grove
Angelina Guerrero
Ana Gutterman
Franklin Guye
Betty Habershon
Carol Haesche
Nancy Hagin
Jeffrey Halbreich
Taylor Hammit
Stephanie Hand
Kathryn Hara
M.H. Harden
Emily Hardy
Jacob Harris
Nancy Harris
Venus Harris
Sarah Clune Hartman
Christine Harvey
Steven Hattenberger
Lauren Hedvat
Catherine Heinen
Bob Henschen
Kenneth Herel
Harriet Herman
George Herrera
Allison Hickey
Brett Hickey
Allen Hicks
Mitchell Hill
Reynaldo Hinajon
Sandra Hines
Fred Hjalmer
Demetrius Hollis
Ann Holton
Natalie Hopkins
Eddie Horton
Raymond House
Elizabeth Houston
Jenny and Greg Huang-Dale
Kim Hunter
Robert Hunter
Jenna and Dave Ichikawa
Theresa Igoe
Stephen Imperial
Artem Izvekov
Ryan and Justin Jackson
Davis Jackson
Hunter Jackson
Kimberly Jackson
Lori Jacobs
Robin Jacobson
Deborah Jadhav
Theresa Jaffe
JoAnne James
Conner Japikse
Jessica Jarmon
Joanne Jennings
Eleanor Jergensen
Charles LaMar Johnson
Corinne Johnson
Patricia Johnson
Gale and Mark Eric Johnson
Gusta Johnson
Hunter Johnson
Jonathan Johnson
Sharon Johnson
Kenneth Johnston
Earl Jones
Henry Jones
A. Judith Pratt
Audrey Kalaf
Sanghamitra Kalita
Shanta Kaneshiro
Monisha Kapila
Volk Karl
Casssundra Karnal
Kelly Katchka
Alex Katz
Roberta Kavanaugh
Ellen Kaye
Ann Keane
Catherine Keim
Susan Kellicut
Martha Kellow
Lois Kemp
Christine Keyes
Bobby Keys
Kathleen Kiece
Carol-Marie Kiernan
William Kilander
Gina Kim
Keyana King
Sally Kinsey
Dawne Kittredge-Crist
Neil Klar
Bonnie Klaus
Micah Kleid
Nancy Klein
Catherine Kleinsmith
Doron Klemer
Rita Knapp
Elia Knieriemen
Jermy Knize
Edward Knotek
Rita Knowles
Leore Knudsen
Alexander Koch
Sydnie Kohara
Charlotte Koster
Rohit Krishnakumar
Heather Krishnan
Kal Krishnan
Shekar Krishnan
Dana Kroop
Sharon Kurth
Constance La Sala
Anthony Lach
Jim lacovo
Diane Lacy
raymond lacy
Lisa LaFond
Jodie LaFreniere-Dajc
Jennifer Lambert
Sara Lambrinos
Kristen Lamoreaux
Ella Lance
Dean Landew
Christina Lands
Sharon Langley
J. Langston
Linda Lappin
Ashley Laster
Robert Latzo
Marga Laube
Claire Laudadio
Hope Leder
Phyllis Lee
Gary Lee Clayton
Helen Leibowitz
Stephanie Lekowski
Patrick Lenihan
Lin Lent
O Leonard
Kim Letter
Adam Levin
Sandra Levin
Cee Jay Levine
Ben Liles
Jeanna Limtiaco
James Lind
Miranda Lionnet
Grace Lipsey
Bettye Lite
Christine Locarno
Elizabeth Lockwood
Darrell Loden
Kelly Logan
Raven Lok
Andrew Long
Cuneo Louise
Tina Lucas
Dana Luong
Alexa Lynch
Joan Lynch
Margaret Lyons
Macy Macaskill
Harry Macdonald
Harold Macholz
cris macht
Marilee MacMillan
Michael Macrina
Joan Madriga
Catherine Mahan
Kegan Mahon
Yolanda Beta Malone
Mark Mandell
Len Mangoba
Karen Mann
stephen manning
Jenny Marder
JoAnne Marian
Mary Mariani
Alena Markley
Kaitlyn Marshall
Henry Martin
Jerry Martin
Michel Martin
Rachel Martin
Fernando Masterson
scott matney
Karen Matthiesen
Linda Maule
Saira mayhew
Lynne Mayman
Christine McCarthy
Leilani McConnell
Joanne McDowell
Amanda McElhannon
Eugenia McGill
William McGlynn
Lori McHugh
Michael McKeon
Sue McLaughlin
Thomas McMahon
Christine Meadows
Jigar Mehta
Cecilia Mendez
Anik and Devin Mensinkai
Barb and Jim Mercante
Barbara Merlie
JeanAnne Merrill
Robert Meyers
Joyce Michael
Lisa Micka
Marvin Lee Midkiff
Patricia Millender
Cheryl Miller
Honora Miller
Jacquelyn Miller
James Miller
William Miller
Tanya Misfeldt
Joan Mish
Misha and Dillon
Debra Abreu Moesle
Susan Montalbano
Vera Monteiro
Angela Montuori
Brian Morell
Cecila Morgan
Geneva Morgan
Michelle Morgan
Ellen Morgenstern
Joan Morris
Lisa Morris
Michael Morris
Sandra Morrish
Frederic Morton
Mary Mullady
Briana Murray
Grant Myers
Margaret Myers
Byung Na
Ramona Navarrete
Robert Neblett
Greg Nelsen
Luzviminda Nelson
Mary Nelson
Margot and Lee Nevins
Robyn Nickleson
William Niemeyer
Melissa Nisenson
Kay Noguchi
Julie Norris
Frank Noto
Claudia Nunez
Joseph Paul Nycz
Lawrence O’Brien
Amanda O’Brien
William Ochoa
Denis Odell
Fides O’Donnell
Brian Olin
Kristen Ori
Michael O’Rourke
Lou Orr
Mark Oster
Carole Agran Ostroff
Steven Oswood
Barry Owen
Osa Oyegun
Natalie Pace
Jo-Ann Parillo
Joshua Parsons
Delve Partners
Jamie Pasquale
Gary Pasquaretto
JoAnn Passaro
Mandel Patinkin
Lenihan Patrick
Eleanor Patten
James Patuto
Jane Pearl
Beth and Lee Pearson
Yvonne Pearson
Sue Peck
Gabrielle Rae Pecson
Veronica Van Pelt
Stanley Pelter
Paula Penebaker
Jason Pepper
Ana Perez
Briana Perez
Jose Perez
José Manuel Pérez
Jeanette Pertz
Stefanie Pestone
Beth Peters
Sean Peters
David Petsche
James Phares
Dennis Picciano
Elliot Pike
Eleanor Pinckney
Andrea Pineda
Neal Pisanti
Aimee Pitta
John Pizzurro
Stephen Pogust
Ashlyne Polynice
Michael Pomianoski
Richard Pond
Debora Poplasky
Nicholas Popma
Deborah Posada
John Presto
Peter Price
Stephen Propst
Jaideep Punjabi
D.S. Van Putten
Julie Quinn
Susan Ragsdale
Rohan Rai
Saraswathy Ramanathan
JD Ramey
Gloria Ramirez
Vijay Rao
Beth Rapp
Rachana Rathi
Siobhan Rausch
Tanya Ray
Karen Read
Karen Reagle
Sarah Reavis
Jani Reddick
Katie and Vivek Reddy
Jennifer Redman
Lindsay Reiff
Ann Reilly
Catherine Reina
Meg Reinick
Judith Reiss
Andy Reitz
Josefa Vazquez Rentas
Liz Renz
Cheryl Reyes
Alexandra Reyes
Robb Rhone
Gayle Richard
Valinda Richardson
Ernest Riesenfeld
Amisha Rigia
Kristin Riley
Daniel Riodan
Frederic Rissover
Bill Ritter
Eileen Robert
Annette Robinson
Valery Rodi
Jude Rodrigues
Frank Rodriguez
Elizabeth Roeske
Thea and Timothy Roessler
Antonio Rogers
Matt Rogers
Patsy Rogers
Raymond Roman
Gabrielle Romano
Amy Rosenberg
Matt Rosner
Anders Ross
Jeffrey Roth
Jonah Roth
Mori Rothman
Michael Rothmel
Joanne Rotondi
Ruby Roy
Joshua Rubin
Lydia Ruhe
Anne Ruprecht
Jennifer Rusk
Adam Russell
Curtis Russell
AJ Ryan
Beth Ryan
Christiana Ryan
Molly Sabatino
christian saffici
Gary Salaty
Arlene Sano
Ousmane Sanogo
Eliza Scallet
Jeremiah Schaeffer
Carl Schenskie
Simone Schicker
Patrick Schilling
Jane Schindler
Michael Schleigh
Susan Schmidt
Benjamin Schröer
Gerd Schuburt
Cynthia Schumacher
Jonathan Schur
Ronelle Schwartz
Michael Schwentor
Sally Scott
Brian Scott
Chelsea Scott
Svea Scott
Danielle Seale
Reed Selkirk
Naomi Sena
Mary Senter
Joan Senzel
Robert Serverance
Chris Shakoor
Neal Shapiro
Alicia Sharma
Saika Sharmeen
Kate Sheehan
Nora Shepard
Mary Anne Shiderly
Harriet Shiffman
Susan Shontz
Aaron Shotts
Allison Showalter
Muhammad Siddiqui
Carol Sifred
Judith Singh
J. Skipper
Ira Slotnick
Christine Smith
Emily Smith
Jane Smith
Lisa Smith
Richard Smith
Steven Smith
Clare Smith-Larson
Marian Smock
Tom Smyth
Colleen Snow
James Snyder
Jeremy Soine
Jennifer Soliman
Paul Solman
Amy Sommer
Anne Sosnowich
Joe Souza
Jennifer Spencer
Valerie Spiess
Peter Spivack
Nancy Springan
Hari Sreenivasan
Sree Sreenivasan
Srinija Srinivasan
Louise Stamp
Stephanie Standiford
Tema Stauffer
William Stefanowicz
E. Bernice Steinke
Jason Steneck
Sylvia Stevens
Dennis Still
Scott Stoll
C. Sullivan
Lisa Sullivan
Valeta Sullivan
Ryan Supeh
Sandra Sweet
Delphine Szczesniak
Amy Talanker
Eileen Tarpey
Donald Tartasky
Ryan Tavis
Beverly Taylor
Kevin Taylor
Lucia and James Teague
Colleen Tenan
Laura Terry
Loretta Testa
Karn Thapar
Nancy Thomas
Gard Thompson
Catherine Tidwell
Harold Tierney
Henry Timm
Richard Timmins
Twanna Timms
Linda Titus
Tabetha Toole
Elizabeth Tortora
Deborah Tracy
Susie Trees
Laura Trout
Paul Trust
Kelly Tschantz
Antony Tseng
Jennifer Tsoulos
Joan Tuchman
Nick Tucholski
Penela Turano
Ray Turkin
Susan Turkle
Jason Tuttle
Jennifer Tuttle
Susan Ulferts
Cynthia Underwood
Rekha Unnithan
Albert Utzig
Joseph Varghese
Misha Vaughan
The Vaughns
Maria Vazquez
Krishna Venkatachalam
Phylis VerSteegh
Jessica Virtue
Kerry and Kevin Vo
Alex W.
Michael Wack
Stephen Wagner
Vandy and James Walker
Marc Wallack
Donald Walsh, Jr.
Paul Warner
Yonni Wattenmaker
Stephen Watterson
Frederick Weierstall
Falen Weil
Nora Weinerth
David Weinkle
Linda Weissman
Deepthi Welaratna
Matthew West
Norm Weston
James Whaley
Lorie Whiteley
Jordan Whitlow
Joan Wilentz
Rose Willey
Daniel Williams
Jacqueline Williams
Susan Williams
Lawrence Willian
Brian Wilson
Diane Wilson
Kristen Wilson
Tiffany Wilson-Tran
Herbert Winnik
Nola Winterbell
Barbara Witney
Sarah Woelfel
Derek Wong
Susan Woo
Ralph Wright
Nancy Wurtzelman
Grace Yang
Raveena Yanovsky
Ashley and Nathan Yates
Richard Yee
Emily Yelton
Jeanette Yew
Marin Yoshida
Kathryn and Kenneth Young
Janet Young
Kathie Young
Mary Jane, Lillian and Jarod Zacharias
Monte Zaloudek
Anne Marie Zanfardino
Geoffrey Zartarian
Nella Zelek
Dzmitry Zelianko
Carrie Zelko
Helene Zentner
Alain Zilkha
Donald Zucker
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March 14, 2023
Sesame Workshop Expands Efforts to Support Ukrainian Children Affected by Ongoing Conflict through New Broadcast
May 16, 2023
New Research Shows Substantial Impact on Children’s Learning from Groundbreaking Ahlan Simsim Initiative Combining Educational Media and Early Childhood Services
March 16, 2023
After Reaching 23 Million Children Across MENA, Ahlan Simsim Debuts New Season, Teaching Young Viewers About Positive Self-Identity