From Brooklyn to Kabul, we connect with millions of children to help them reach their highest potential.  Numerous research studies have proven the effectiveness of Sesame Programs around the world and there are now Sesame programs in over 120 countries.

We are proud to report that this mission has garnered the attention of many people, from world leaders and educators to parents and caregivers. Discover the many ways in which Sesame Workshop inspires and impacts children, media and the global community.

"There is nothing more important in preventing future crises than the kind of work Sesame Street does in so many countries around the world ... in opening the minds of young people, in uniting us around our common humanity while respecting the culture and context of every country it works in."

KOFI ANNAN, Secretary General of the United Nations, acknowledging the unique way in which Sesame Workshop develops international coproductions, bringing together local educators, researchers, artists, and producers to create culturally specific coproductions that reflect local languages, customs, and educational needs.

113 million of the world's young children are not enrolled in school.

"We're about reaching children wherever they are and with whatever resources are available to them, whether through rickshaws in rural villages or streaming video on cell phones."

TERRY FITZPATRICK, Sesame Workshop's Executive Vice President for Distribution, on how the Workshop enlists media in the service of children around the world. Sesame Street and its international co-productions air in over 120 countries making it the largest informal educator of preschoolers in the world.

Sesame Street brings learning and life skills to over 120 million children around the world.

"...Through the doors that Sesame Street has opened wide around the world, children see a future full of color, music, opportunity, and hope. And no matter what they look like or where they come from, they're always assured of a warm welcome and encouraged to come inside. ..." "Those doors will usher in more and more children from many places in this world and will help lead the way to a sunny day where everything is A-OK."

HER MAJESTY QUEEN RANIA AL-ABDULLAH, First Lady of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a champion for children around the world. Juljul and Tonton Jordan

In the U.S. alone, there are over 74 million "graduates" of Sesame Street.

"Keep going. It's bigger than we are."

JIM HENSON'S advice to a young Kevin Clash, Sesame Street's Elmo. Those words are as compelling today as they were when spoken in 1984, as Sesame Workshop carries on the dream of its original creators to help all children learn.

In addition to ABCs and 123s, our international shows provide life lessons in real-life contexts: helping to tackle the stigma of HIV/AIDS in South Africa, encouraging girls' education in Egypt, modeling mutual respect and understanding in the Middle East and Kosovo's multi-ethnic society.

"We may be different, we may speak different languages, we may come from different places, but on Sesame Street we all live together. ..."

SOREN JESSEN-PETERSON, Special Representative of the Secretary General, United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, speaking at the 2004 launch of Rruga Sesam/Ulica Sezam, the Sesame Street coproduction in the Albanian and Serbian languages that helps children from different backgrounds in Kosovo learn about one another, appreciate cultural and ethnic diversity, and participate in a shared society.

Sesame Workshop pioneered the notion of a nonprofit organization that helps support its mission through earned revenue.  Support from foundations and individuals is critical to developing unique Sesame Street adaptations around the world, while proceeds from sales of Sesame Street products help to fund the research and development of our U.S. program.

"With a long history of abandoned negotiations and failed peace plans behind them, Middle East peace advocates now have a new tool at their disposal: Sesame Street."

NATHAN BURSTEIN, Reporter for the Jerusalem Post, describing how Sesame Stories, the groundbreaking initiative helping Jordanian, Israeli, and Palestinian children learn about themselves and the world around them, is having its intended impact: After repeated viewing, Jewish and Arab Israeli kindergartners were more likely to reject negative stereotypes and adopt constructive problem-solving techniques.