Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, has provided 1,500 distance learning kits to the City. Image: Sesame Street

JXN Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba and Jackson Public Schools (JPS) Superintendent, Dr. Errick Greene, have announced that Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, has provided 1,500 distance learning kits to the City.

The learning kits were given in an effort to support the City and JPS with engaging families in continuous learning opportunities, especially those without regular access to online resources.

“The City is overjoyed to have a relationship with Sesame Street which has been working for generations to educate young people and to fill the educational gap through creative learning processes. And so, Sesame Street, true to its history, has stepped in the same regard here in the City of Jackson and we are abundantly blessed to have them alongside us,” said Mayor Lumumba.

The City of Jackson initially reached out to Sesame Workshop in April after learning about their teaching resources designed to help parents and young children manage through COVID-19 as part of their Caring for Each Other initiative.

“We are very excited to receive this generous donation from Sesame Street and we anticipate that we will have deeper engagement with them in the future,” said Chief Administrative Officer, Dr. Robert Blaine. He also explained that the learning kits will help to enhance the City’s Ready to Learn Universal Pre-K program.

The learning kits consist of books and activity booklets geared toward children aged 0-6 years old, which include: Talking is Teaching, which helps children express their thoughts and learn about the world around them, Book Buddies, which teaches reading and building basic vocabulary skills, and the Brave, Strong, Resilient Family Guide, which focuses on providing love and support to children to help them build confidence and overcome challenges together as a family. Additional digital resources for learning at home and coping with COVID-19 are available at SesameStreet.org/caring. 

Distribution of the learning kits will be coordinated with JPS.For more tips and resources, visit: sesamestreetincommunities.org.