ABSTRACT
Sesame Street has long recognized the importance of supporting the world’s smallest learners as they navigate challenges ranging from disease prevention to natural disasters to geopolitical conflict. As families everywhere faced the fear, isolation, and grief of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sesame teams in Brazil, Bangladesh, India, and South Africa quickly adapted production and program delivery, platforms, curricula, and content to reflect the needs of children, caregivers, and teachers around the world. Whether providing open-access digital events and virtual learning communities, using local Sesame Street programs to provide COVID-19-related content on topics ranging from hand washing to mental health, or leveraging WhatsApp, Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, and one-on-one phone calls, and expanding its target group to include permanent and temporary migrant families, Sesame was able to reach millions of children and caregivers with high-quality ECD programming during COVID-19 shutdowns. These program adaptations and innovations provide lessons that could inform how to support children and families in other crisis situations and humanitarian settings.
