COLOMBIAN CHILDREN SEE THEIR STORIES COME TO LIFE WITH NEW SEASON OF PLAZA SÉSAMO

COLOMBIAN CHILDREN SEE THEIR STORIES COME TO LIFE WITH NEW SEASON OF PLAZA SÉSAMO

 

Sesame Workshop Partners with World Heart Federation on Three-Year Initiative
to Provide Engaging Educational Messages to Young Children

New York, NY, and Bogotá, COLOMBIA, April 18, 2006 – Colombian children
will have the opportunity to participate in the 10th season of Plaza Sésamo and see their
stories come to life when the award-winning children’s TV series begins production this
month. As part of an effort to showcase the rich cultural diversity of Latin America on
Plaza Sésamo, new live actions films produced in Colombia will offer a window into
Colombia for viewers. Teenagers will be engaged directly in the production process when
their “voices” are reflected in live action films that they themselves create. Additionally,
primary school children, ages 5 to 9, will be given cameras to take photos of moments in
their daily lives. These photos will be used to inspire production of new animated
segments.

The new season, which features the live action films, launches in October, and the
animation segments will appear on Plaza Sésamo’s 11th season airing April 2008. Plaza
Sésamo airs on Señal Colombia and Discovery Kids.

Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Plaza Sésamo,
in partnership with the World Heart Federation, a global NGO, is implementing the threeyear
Colombian initiative. Designed to provide educational messages and address health
issues and Colombian culture, the project aims to promote child learning on topics of vital
importance and increase awareness of the benefit of educational television for children,
early childhood care and education, and the role of the parent and family as a child’s first
teacher.

“We are proud to partner with the World Heart Federation to identify and address
children’s needs in the region on and off air,” said Daniel Victor, Sesame Workshop’s
Executive Vice President, International. “By engaging them in the production process, we
are giving children a voice and learning tool that will be heard well beyond the borders of
Colombia.”

“The World Heart Federation is excited to launch this joint initiative with Sesame
Workshop. We need to reach out to children early, and help them make healthy choices
that last a lifetime,” said Professor Valentin Fuster, President, World Heart Federation.
“The World Heart Federation, through various advocacy and awareness initiatives, aims to
bring new knowledge of healthy habits, such as a healthy diet, physical activity and
smoke-free living, to children in Colombia and beyond.”

Engaging educational print materials will be produced to complement and extend
the impact of the television series. The materials will target children and parents and will
be available at pediatrician offices, family and community centers, hospitals, day care
facilities.

In addition, a variety of research studies will ensure the program effectively
reflects and addresses local needs. Formative research studies will assess children’s local
interests so that these can be reflected in the material developed for the project. The
studies will also provide information on the appeal and comprehension of Plaza Sésamo
content, as it is being developed to further enhance the relevance of the materials.
Additionally, an impact evaluation will assess the project’s reach and effectiveness.
Plaza Sésamo features the beloved furry and feathered Muppet characters
Abelardo, Pancho and Lola. Each episode combines animation, live action films and
original music videos with segments produced on the Plaza Sésamo set to engage children
and help them better understand the world around them.

The partners behind Plaza Sésamo are nonprofit educational organization Sesame
Workshop, Latin American pay-TV children’s network Discovery Kids, Mexico’s largest
terrestrial producer and broadcaster Televisa Niños, and US broadcaster TeleFutura. HIP
TV, a division of L.A.-based HIP Entertainment Group, are the Production Supervisors.
The World Heart Federation, a non governmental organization based in Geneva,
Switzerland, is committed to helping the global population achieve a longer and better life
through prevention and control of heart disease and stroke, with a particular focus on low
and middle-income countries. It is comprised of 189 member societies of cardiology and
heart foundations from over 100 countries covering the regions of Asia-Pacific, Europe,
the Americas and Africa. For further information visit: www.worldheart.org.

Contacts:
Beatrice Chow, Sesame Workshop; (+1 212) 875-6586 +41 22 908 4074; beatrice.chow(at)sesameworkshop.org

Karen Smadja, Cohn & Wolfe Public Relations; 
 Karen_smadja(at)ch.cohnwolfe.com
Or visit: http://www.cwnewsroom.ch