May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and even Elmo and his friends are joining the call for a more comprehensive look at teen mental health. Led by Sesame Workshop, Sesame StreetThe nonprofit’s educational arm, the organization’s new campaign(Opens in a new tab) Focuses on supporting the emotional well-being of young children.
“In response to the growing mental health crisis for young children and drawing on decades of experience developing social and emotional learning content for families, the workshop will address this critical need through a wide range of activities and engaging content designed for the whole family and available on multiple platforms to reach children and families wherever they are.” the organization wrote in its announcement. “Young children are often overlooked in discussions about mental health – but there is growing evidence that young children are suffering now more than ever.”
Sesame Workshop’s organization-wide initiative responds to the February report(Opens in a new tab) by the American Pediatric Association, which declared a nationwide pediatric mental health crisis.
“Our country is not meeting the behavioral health needs of our youth,” the researchers wrote. “Although the problems of the child mental health system have been known for decades, recent factors, including the 2019 coronavirus pandemic, have accelerated its collapse… The factors driving this crisis are complex, but not insurmountable.”
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The campaign will provide strategies that caregivers, families and community service providers can use to recognize signs of emotional distress in children and provide support for regulating strong emotions and acquiring basic social and emotional skills.
As part of the multi-year, multi-platform campaign, families can enjoy the Sesame Street Neighbors is in a range of cross-platform content, including a new 45-minute YouTube special called “Elmo’s Mindfulness Spectacular”(Opens in a new tab) As the iconic character learns how to calm anxiety before “The Big YouTube Talent Show.” Celebrities and innovators like Jenny Slate, Juanpa Zurita, and LaurDIY join the group to learn about mindfulness and calming activities.
Credit: Sesame Street/Sesame Workshop
Credit: Sesame Street/Sesame Workshop
Other resources include a special episode geared toward parenting from happiness lab(Opens in a new tab) Podcast hosted by Yale University Professor Dr. Laurie Santos. The episode will feature Steve Youngwood, CEO of Sesame Workshop, and Kay Wilson Stallings, Executive Vice President and Director of Production and Creative Development, along with Elmo, who will share additional emotion regulation strategies for parents and caregivers. It will be followed by another three-episode series about happiness featuring beloved characters and songs Sesame Street.
I’ll bring Sesame Workshop too Good night, world!(Opens in a new tab) The podcast is back for a second season, in partnership with meditation app Headspace. Developed by a team of early childhood and meditation experts, Good night, world! reimagines the popular sleeptime broadcast format to help children practice the transition from their active days to nap time or bedtime,” the organization wrote.
The campaign will enter literature with a series of six books based on Sesame StreetMonster Meditation videos(Opens in a new tab) Also on YouTube in partnership with Headspace and Penguin Random House. The organization also announced a publishing collaboration with Mayo Clinic Press Kids(Opens in a new tab)an imprint of Mayo Clinic Press, to create a line of “whole body health” and emotional wellbeing books scheduled for release in fall 2024.
In addition, the Sesame Workshop Resource Center has been newly launched(Opens in a new tab) Featuring a digital storybook, worksheets, videos and activities, including resources in English and Spanish, to support parents, caregivers and service providers in fostering a strong foundation for emotional well-being. Video resources can also be streamed on PBS Kids.
In April, Sesame Workshop partnered with the Ad Council to launch a Sound it Out PSA titled “Me & My Grown-Up,” a lyric video about the importance of nurturing caregivers to a child’s emotional development. Looking around the world, the peak episode of Eat me, SesameAnd Sesame StreetSouth African Show, Premiere on May 20, titled “Special Big Feelings”.
“At Sesame we hold on to a vision of a world where all children can thrive and experience the joy of life and do so with an appreciation for their mental health and well-being. Through the strength of our likable characters and proven resources, we are re-raising awareness about the importance of nurturing emotional well-being,” said Sherry Westen, Chair of Sesame Workshop. children and reduce the stigma associated with seeking mental health support for children.
To learn more about Sesame Workshop’s new resources, visit the foundation’s Emotional Wellbeing Center(Opens in a new tab). Families can set it Sesame Street on HBOMax.
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