SESAME WORKSHOP

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE PLAY TO LEARN: LAUNCHED IN 2019 AND LED BY SESAME WORKSHOP IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH BRAC, THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (IRC), AND NYU GLOBAL TIES FOR CHILDREN, PLAY TO LEARN (PTL) SET OUT TO TRANSFORM HOW THE HUMANITARIAN SECTOR APPROACHES EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT IN CRISIS AND CONFLICT SETTINGS. BY BLENDING DIRECT SERVICES, MASS MEDIA, RIGOROUS RESEARCH, AND STRATEGIC ADVOCACY, THE CONSORTIUM WORKED TO PLACE YOUNG CHILDREN AT THE CENTER OF HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE. OVER SIX YEARS, PLAY TO LEARN REACHED 3,692,465 CHILDREN, CAREGIVERS, AND FACILITATORS ACROSS SIX COUNTRIES - FROM ROHINGYA REFUGEE CAMPS IN BANGLADESH TO URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST. (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)IN THE PROGRAM'S FINAL YEAR, 1,191,174 PEOPLE WERE REACHED.AS THE PROGRAM CONCLUDED, ISI PRIORITIZED THE DISSEMINATION OF EVIDENCE AND TOOLS TO BENEFIT THE BROADER HUMANITARIAN FIELD. KEY RESOURCES DEVELOPED INCLUDE THE WATCH, PLAY, LEARN TOOLKIT - AN ADAPTABLE RESOURCE PACKAGE ENABLING FRONTLINE ECD PRACTITIONERS ACROSS SECTORS (PROTECTION, HEALTH, NUTRITION) TO INTEGRATE EVIDENCE-BASED PLAY PROGRAMMING INTO EXISTING WORK - AND THE PLAY TO LEARN RESOURCE HUB, A PLATFORM SHARING PROGRAM AND TECHNICAL RESOURCES, CONTENT, AND IMPLEMENTATION TOOLS FROM BANGLADESH, LEBANON, JORDAN, AND BEYOND. THESE RESOURCES WERE SHARED AT EVENTS INCLUDING THE "PLAY WITH A PURPOSE" ROADSHOW IN BANGLADESH IN JANUARY 2025, WHERE 180 POLICYMAKERS, UN AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES, AND INGO LEADERS ENGAGED WITH SIX YEARS OF PLAY TO LEARN EVIDENCE, DISCUSSED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUSTAINING THE MODEL'S IMPACT, AND AND EXPLORED FIRSTHAND THE MATERIALS AND MODELS DEVELOPED OVER SIX YEARS OF IMPLEMENTATION.AHLAN SIMSIM-IRAQ: DURING YEAR 4 OF THE AHLAN SIMSIM-IRAQ PROJECT, SESAME WORKSHOP ADVANCED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT ACROSS SIX GOVERNORATES IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH USAID, IRAQ'S MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, AND NGO AND PRODUCTION PARTNERS. THE PROGRAM PRIORITIZED ACCESS FOR THE MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN - INCLUDING DISPLACED POPULATIONS AND MINORITY GROUPS - WITH KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT WEIGHTED TOWARD CHILDREN WITH LOWER IDELA BASELINE SCORES.FEMALE EDUCATORS RECEIVED TRAINING IN EMERGENT LITERACY, NUMERACY, AND ANTI-BIAS PRACTICES. PARENT ENGAGEMENT DEEPENED THROUGH PTA COMMITTEES AND CAREGIVER SESSIONS CENTERED ON LEARNING-THROUGH-PLAY. YOUTH HUBS PROVIDED SAFE SPACES FOR SKILL-BUILDING AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION, WITH YOUNG PEOPLE GAINING SOFT SKILLS AND PRODUCING ORIGINAL FILMMAKING PROJECTS. CONTENT PRODUCTION EXPANDED TO INCLUDE NEW VIDEOS FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND FATHERS, AND ADVOCACY EFFORTS WORKED TO INTEGRATE AHLAN SIMSIM MATERIALS INTO GOVERNMENTAL KINDERGARTEN CURRICULA - A CRITICAL STEP TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY INDEPENDENT OF PROJECT FUNDING.THE PROGRAM CONCLUDED IN FY25 FOLLOWING THE LOSS OF USAID FUNDING. CLOSE-OUT WAS MANAGED RESPONSIBLY AND TRANSPARENTLY: STAFF DEMOBILIZATION COMPLIED WITH IRAQI LABOR LAW, ASSETS WERE DONATED TO LOCAL NGOS, AND PROGRAM DOCUMENTATION WAS COMPREHENSIVELY ARCHIVED. OVER FOUR YEARS, AHLAN SIMSIM DEMONSTRATED THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF CULTURALLY TAILORED PROGRAMMING IN IRAQ - USING BELOVED CHARACTERS, BASMA AND JAD, TO PROMOTE EMPATHY, DIVERSITY, AND RESILIENCE - AND LEAVES A LASTING FOUNDATION FOR EARLY LEARNING AS A MEANS OF HEALING AND CONNECTION IN COMMUNITIES DEEPLY AFFECTED BY DISPLACEMENT AND CONFLICT.WELCOME SESAME: INCLUSION AND BELONGING FOR DISPLACED LEARNERS: WELCOME SESAME, SUPPORTED BY THE HILTON FOUNDATION, IS A GLOBAL SOCIAL COHESION INITIATIVE DELIVERING A 16-SESSION INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THE SOCIAL INTEGRATION OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN COMMUNITIES TRANSFORMED BY MIGRATION. OPERATING IN UGANDA, COLOMBIA, AND ECUADOR, THE PROGRAM ADDRESSES SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL), POSITIVE IDENTITY, AND SENSE OF BELONGING THROUGH BOTH PRINT AND MEDIA CONTENT.IN FY25, THE PROGRAM COMPLETED ITS SECOND IMPLEMENTATION CYCLE AND LAUNCHED ITS THIRD. THE SECOND CYCLE REACHED 5,236 CHILDREN, 4,016 GUARDIANS, AND 218 EDUCATORS ACROSS 185 CLASSROOMS. MONITORING DATA SHOWED MEANINGFUL EDUCATOR GROWTH IN SEL KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE, INCLUDING STRONGER IDENTIFICATION OF POSITIVE EMOTION-REGULATION STRATEGIES AND INCREASED CONFIDENCE IN FOSTERING INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS.AS THE PROGRAM ENTERED ITS THIRD AND FINAL IMPLEMENTATION CYCLE IN JANUARY 2025, SESAME WORKSHOP AND PARTNERS DEEPENED ENGAGEMENT WITH MINISTRIES OF EDUCATION IN ALL THREE COUNTRIES AND COMMITTED TO SCALING TO ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS. THROUGH ITERATIVE REFINEMENT AND STRONG LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS, WELCOME SESAME IS BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE, ADAPTABLE SEL MODEL THAT STRENGTHENS EARLY LEARNING ECOSYSTEMS ACROSS DIVERSE CRISIS-AFFECTED CONTEXTS.TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE: IN FY25, SESAME WORKSHOP LAUNCHED THE UKRAINE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN THE COUNTRY'S ECD WORKFORCE AMID PROTRACTED CONFLICT AND WIDESPREAD DISRUPTION TO EDUCATION. THE PROGRAM EQUIPS ASPIRING EDUCATORS WITH ROBUST SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, INCLUSIVE, AND PLAY-BASED TEACHING SKILLS ALIGNED WITH UKRAINE'S NATIONAL EDUCATION PRIORITIES.TO GROUND THE PROGRAM IN REAL NEED, SESAME CONDUCTED A COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS ASSESSMENT ENGAGING 678 SURVEY RESPONDENTS AND 15 IN-DEPTH INTERVIEWS TO IDENTIFY URGENT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GAPS. A CURRICULUM ADVISORY CONVENING BROUGHT TOGETHER 60 EDUCATION STAKEHOLDERS IN LVIV, PRODUCING A VALIDATED DRAFT FRAMEWORK FOR A THREE-MONTH TRAINING PROGRAM TO BE FINALIZED AND IMPLEMENTED IN FY26. SESAME HAS FORMALIZED A PARTNERSHIP WITH IZMAIL UNIVERSITY AND IS ACTIVELY EXPANDING TO ADDITIONAL UNIVERSITIES TO SUPPORT REGIONAL ROLLOUT AND LONG-TERM INSTITUTIONAL ADOPTION OF THE MODEL.

INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL IMPACTSESAME WORKSHOP'S (SW) INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL IMPACT (ISI) GROUP ADVANCES EARLY LEARNING AND CHILD WELL-BEING GLOBALLY IN SERVICE OF OUR CORE MISSION: HELPING KIDS GROW SMARTER, STRONGER, AND KINDER. WORKING ACROSS SOUTH ASIA, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, THE MIDDLE EAST, LATIN AMERICA, AND CRISIS-AFFECTED CONTEXTS WORLDWIDE, ISI COLLABORATES WITH MINISTRIES OF EDUCATION, NGOS, PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO DELIVER CULTURALLY RELEVANT CONTENT, STRENGTHEN INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY, AND EMBED SUSTAINABLE EARLY LEARNING MODELS WITHIN NATIONAL SYSTEMS. (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O)FY25 WAS A YEAR OF SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND STRATEGIC ADAPTATION. THE CONCLUSION OF SEVERAL USAID-SUPPORTED INITIATIVES IN BANGLADESH, INDIA, AND IRAQ REQUIRED A THOUGHTFUL REALIGNMENT OF RESOURCES AND PRIORITIES. AS A RESULT OF THE SUDDEN SHIFT IN THE FUNDING LANDSCAPE, WE MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO CLOSE OUR OPERATIONS IN IRAQ AND BANGLADESH. WE ARE FURTHER POSITIONING THE DEPARTMENT FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND GROWTH BY SHARPENING OUR THEMATIC FOCUS TO ALIGN MORE CLOSELY WITH CONTENT STRATEGY AND ORGANIZATIONAL PRIORITIES, WHILE MANAGING A STREAMLINED PORTFOLIO OF FUNDED PROJECTS FOR BOTH U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL UPTAKE. WE ARE REPLICATING PROVEN PROGRAM MODELS THROUGH EFFICIENT, COLLABORATIVE DESIGN PROCESSES; RESPONDING TO EVOLVING CHILD AND FAMILY NEEDS USING RESEARCH, DATA, AND PARTNER INSIGHT; AND INVESTING IN TARGETED PILOTS AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TO DRIVE INNOVATION, SCALE, AND EXPANDED REACH.ACROSS OUR REGIONAL OFFICES AND GLOBAL PROGRAMS, WE CONTINUED TO EXPAND OUR MULTI-PLATFORM MEDIA CONTENT AND EVIDENCE-BASED DIRECT SERVICES, SUSTAINING STRONG REACH AND MEANINGFUL OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND ENSURING A MORE RESILIENT ORGANIZATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR THE WORK AHEAD. REGIONAL AND COUNTRY PROGRAMS:BANGLADESH: FOR OVER 20 YEARS, SISIMPUR - SESAME WORKSHOP'S BANGLADESHI CO-PRODUCTION - HAS BEEN A CORNERSTONE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD MEDIA IN THE COUNTRY, REINFORCING FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY, NUMERACY, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, GENDER EQUITY, AND DISABILITY INCLUSION FOR MILLIONS OF CHILDREN. IN FY25, SISIMPUR SEASONS 15 AND 16 AIRED NATIONALLY, GENERATING OVER 249 MILLION YOUTUBE VIEWS AND MORE THAN 13 MILLION CUMULATIVE WATCH HOURS. THE SERIES WILL CONTINUE AIRING ON MULTIPLE BROADCAST CHANNELS THROUGH 2027. THE USAID-FUNDED SISIMPUR DIRECT-SERVICE PROJECT REACHED 34,606 CHILDREN, 1,251 EDUCATORS, AND 11,624 PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS ACROSS 250 SCHOOLS, STRENGTHENING INCLUSIVE TEACHING PRACTICES AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AN ADDITIONAL 17,342 STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND TEACHERS PARTICIPATED IN THE INTERNET-SMART GENERATION INITIATIVE, WHICH PROMOTED DIGITAL LITERACY AND SAFE INTERNET PRACTICES THROUGH STRUCTURED CLASSROOM SESSIONS, TEACHER TRAINING, AND CAREGIVER AWARENESS PROGRAMMING.THROUGH THE LEGO FOUNDATION-FUNDED PLAY TO LEARN PROJECT, SESAME WORKSHOP BANGLADESH DEVELOPED AND DISSEMINATED AN "ECD HOMEKIT", CONTAINING PLAY AND LEARNING MATERIALS CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES TO USE AT HOME, REACHING 1430 ROHINGYA CHILDREN AND 570 CHILDREN FROM THE HOST COMMUNITY. SESAME WORKSHOP BANGLADESH ALSO DEVELOPED AND DISTRIBUTED 20 NEWLY DEVELOPED ROHINGYA STORYBOOKS THAT WERE INTEGRATED INTO PROGRAMS OF 11 PARTNERS AND INTO 62 GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS. FINALLY, IN THE REPORTING PERIOD, SESAME WORKSHOP BANGLADESH PARTNERED WITH SAVE THE CHILDREN TO INTEGRATE SW CONTENT INTO THE MYANMAR KG CURRICULUM FOR ROHINGYA CHILDREN IN 20 LEARNING CENTERS OF ROHINGYA CAMPS, REACHING AROUND 795 KG-GRADE STUDENTS.THE CONCLUSION OF USAID FUNDING HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE BANGLADESH OFFICE'S FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY. FOLLOWING CAREFUL REVIEW, SESAME WORKSHOP MADE THE DECISION TO WIND DOWN ITS BANGLADESH COUNTRY OFFICE IN FY26. THE TEAM CONCLUDED ITS WORK HAVING DELIVERED MEASURABLE IMPACT AND EXPANDED ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATIONAL MEDIA ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ALL DEVELOPED MATERIALS REMAIN ACCESSIBLE THROUGH BROADCAST AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS, ENSURING CONTINUED BENEFIT TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES BEYOND OUR OPERATIONAL PRESENCE.INDIA: IN FY25, SESAME WORKSHOP INDIA OPERATED ACROSS 8 STATES, DIRECTLY REACHING OVER 446,000 CHILDREN AND ENGAGING 9 MILLION INDIVIDUALS THROUGH DIGITAL PLATFORMS - ALL WHILE NAVIGATING A SIGNIFICANT FUNDING TRANSITION. A USAID-FUNDED GRANT FOCUSED ON FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS AND WASH BEGAN IN AUGUST 2024 AND CONCLUDED EARLY IN JANUARY 2025, PROMPTING A REASSESSMENT OF THE INDIA OFFICE'S FUNDING MODEL AND LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY. DURING THIS PERIOD, LOCAL PHILANTHROPY GREW 13% YEAR-ON-YEAR, WITH 68% OF FUNDING MOBILIZED THROUGH DOMESTIC CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY SOURCES.PROGRAMMING SPANNED EDUCATION, WELL-BEING, HEALTH AND HYGIENE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT. THE CHALO! SESAME STREET LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT APP ACHIEVED OVER 100,000 DOWNLOADS, 11,000 REGISTERED USERS, AND A 26% MONTHLY RETENTION RATE, REFLECTING STRONG ADOPTION AND SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT AMONG CAREGIVERS AND YOUNG LEARNERS. NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS AND HIGH-VISIBILITY EVENTS EXTENDED BRAND REACH TO OVER 50 MILLION PEOPLE.A MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL MILESTONE WAS ACHIEVED WHEN THE INTEGRATED EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) PACKAGE - COMPRISING OVER 100 CONTENT RESOURCES ACROSS FIVE LANGUAGES - WAS FORMALLY LAUNCHED BY THE HONORABLE CHIEF MINISTER OF MEGHALAYA, REFLECTING SESAME WORKSHOP'S ROLE AS A TRUSTED PARTNER IN INDIA'S EARLY LEARNING ECOSYSTEM.SOUTH AFRICA: SESAME WORKSHOP'S SOUTH AFRICA OFFICE CONTINUED TO DELIVER INTEGRATED EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMMING THROUGH TAKALANI SESAME, ITS LOCALLY CO-PRODUCED SERIES, ALONGSIDE DIGITAL PLATFORMS AND COMMUNITY-BASED INITIATIVES. BROADCAST AND DIGITAL CONTENT, REINFORCING FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY, NUMERACY, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, HEALTH, AND INCLUSION THEMES, REACHED AN AVERAGE OF 18.6 MILLION VIEWERS MONTHLY, GENERATING 35.8 MILLION DIGITAL VIEWS AND OVER 915,000 HOURS OF WATCH TIME ACROSS FIVE LOCAL LANGUAGES.DIRECT-SERVICE PROGRAMMING REACHED 18,083 CHILDREN AND 350 EDUCATORS ACROSS UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN FIVE PROVINCES, STRENGTHENING SCHOOL READINESS AND EARLY LEARNING ECOSYSTEMS. STRUCTURED TRAINING AND CAPACITY-BUILDING SESSIONS ENGAGED 1,081 ADULTS - INCLUDING ECD PRACTITIONERS, CAREGIVERS, AND SECTOR PARTNERS - IN PLAY-BASED PEDAGOGY, SAFEGUARDING PRACTICES, AND CURRICULUM-ALIGNED APPROACHES. A WHATSAPP CHATBOT DELIVERED STRUCTURED LEARNING PROMPTS AND POSITIVE CAREGIVING SUPPORT TO 8,891 CAREGIVERS, EXTENDING PROGRAM REACH INTO THE HOME.FY25 WAS ALSO A YEAR OF SIGNIFICANT RECOGNITION FOR SESAME WORKSHOP SOUTH AFRICA. THE BIG FEELINGS SPECIAL EARNED A TELLY AWARD AND AN ANTHEM AWARD AND RECEIVED NOMINATIONS FOR BOTH A SAFTA AND AN INTERNATIONAL EMMY. THE BOND THROUGH PLAY CAMPAIGN, WHICH PROMOTES STRENGTHENING FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH PLAY, RECEIVED A 2025 WEBBY AWARD. MOST NOTABLY, SESAME WORKSHOP SOUTH AFRICA WAS APPOINTED AS A STRATEGIC PARTNER TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BASIC EDUCATION FOR THE NATIONAL BANA PELE ("LET'S PUT CHILDREN FIRST") CAMPAIGN, CONDUCTING ROADSHOWS AND COMMUNITY CLINICS ALONGSIDE THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION ACROSS FIVE PROVINCES. THIS PARTNERSHIP STRENGTHENED NATIONAL VISIBILITY OF THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT, EARLY LEARNING AND STIMULATION, AND REINFORCED SESAME'S ROLE AS A TRUSTED CONTRIBUTOR TO EDUCATION POLICY DIALOGUE AND COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION.LATIN AMERICA: ISI'S LATIN AMERICA PORTFOLIO SPANNED SEVEN COUNTRIES - BRAZIL, COLOMBIA, EL SALVADOR, GUATEMALA, ECUADOR, HONDURAS, AND MEXICO - DELIVERING PROGRAMMING IN THREE LANGUAGES: SPANISH, PORTUGUESE, AND MAYA K'ICHE'. PROGRAMMING WAS CENTERED ON SIX THEMATIC AREAS: HEALTHY HABITS, WASH, STEM, DIGITAL WELL-BEING, SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING, AND SOCIAL COHESION, IMPLEMENTED IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH MINISTRIES OF EDUCATION AND LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS. IN FY25, PROGRAMS DIRECTLY REACHED OVER 495,000 CHILDREN, CAREGIVERS, AND TEACHERS THROUGH IN-CLASSROOM SESSIONS, FAMILY PLAY WORKSHOPS, TEACHER TRAININGS, AND COMMUNITY EVENTS. EDUCATIONAL CONTENT REACHED AN ADDITIONAL 7.2 MILLION PEOPLE THROUGH SESAME'S MEDIA AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS.