Sesame Street Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Sesame Workshop is set to mark Sesame Street’s 50th anniversary with a yearlong celebration that will feature new initiatives, community events and a prime-time special.

Leading the celebrations is Sesame Street’s 50th season, which focuses on the power of possibilities and looks to empower kids to take safe risks and learn from their mistakes. A new local version of Sesame Street created for displaced Syrian families and their new neighbors in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria is also slated to launch this year.

Additionally, there will be a nationwide ten-city road trip and an expansion of the Sesame Street in Communities initiative that addresses substance abuse and foster care among other topics. Further, a signature research report that explores an important issue facing kids and families today will be released.

Celebrity- and fan-fueled social media campaigns including #ThisIsMyStreet will showcase Sesame Street memories, and new collaborations across fashion, lifestyle and themed entertainment will launch as part of the anniversary celebrations. In November, a star-studded special will feature new takes on classic Sesame Street segments.

Sesame Workshop CEO Jeffrey D. Dunn said: “This is a remarkable milestone for kids, for education and for television. Sesame Street has now brought the life-changing benefits of early learning to children around the globe for 50 years. Our mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger and kinder knows no geographic boundaries. We’re everywhere families are and we never stop innovating and growing. That’s what keeps us timeless.”

“We’re often asked what Sesame Street’s legacy will be,” said Joan Ganz Cooney, Sesame Workshop co-founder. “To me, a legacy is when something’s over…and this isn’t over.”

Fellow co-founder, Lloyd Morrisett, added: “Sesame Street had a profound impact on children’s media, setting a template that the industry has followed for generations. Fifty years later, Sesame Workshop continues to deliver on its mission every day, across multiple platforms, on six continents. We started as an experiment—and it worked.”