Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, launched Thursday "Let's Get Ready! Planning Together for Emergencies," a bilingual initiative to help families with young children prepare for an emergency. At the John Tyler Elementary School in Washington, D.C., to make the announcement (L-R): Gary E. Knell, Sesame Workshop's president and CEO, Sesame Street's Rosita and Meryl Chertoff, wife of Secretary Michael Chertoff, of the Department of Homeland Security. (Photo by Bill Betros of Business Wire)
by Laura Olson
The scariest thing on "Sesame Street" may be the wrath of Oscar the Grouch, but the show's creators know there are real dangers that kids are forced to deal with in their own neighborhoods.
Teaching children about emergency preparedness -- in the wake of hurricanes, flooding and tornadoes -- is an important but also difficult task. The Sesame Workshop, along with the Department of Homeland Security, believes that Big Bird can help kids understand how to react to an emergency so they're prepared for the real deal.
The organizations have teamed up to launch a program called "Let's Get Ready! Planning Together for Emergencies," which will provide books and DVDs to help parents talk to their kids about natural disasters and other emergencies.
Topics include the importance of creating a family plan, and helping kids learn their phone number and other personal information.
The Sesame Workshop will deliver 150,000 free resource kits to parents during September, and some materials are available online.
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Comments
That's not Elmo as your headline says. That's Oscar, who looks something like me. Gad, it's enough to make me a grouch.
Posted by: CookieMonster | September 19, 2008 8:00 AM
Dumb. However, there are well done websites in .gov web land...
http://pius7.slu.edu/govdocs/?p=112
Posted by: librarian | September 19, 2008 12:13 PM
CookieMonster:
That's not Oscar the Grouch in the photo, it's Rosita.
But you're correct in pointing out that the headline is wrong.
Posted by: BC | September 19, 2008 12:59 PM