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Our Sesame Workshop and IRC teams just returned from Jordan last month. Spending time with refugee children and their parents and caregivers is at once heartbreaking and heartwarming. Many have experienced unimaginable loss – the loss of parents, siblings, and friends, and the loss of their homes and a feeling of safety. But, in the face of remarkable tragedy, all parents and caregivers simply want what’s best for their children – to give them the tools they need to thrive.

The international humanitarian system has failed to prioritize refugee children’s educational needs in a serious way – but Sesame Workshop and IRC are partnering to change that. By pairing IRC’s expertise and on the ground infrastructure serving refugee families – from health care workers and home visitations, to healing classrooms and child care centers – and Sesame’s proven ability to create engaging, educational content, we know we can bring children and families the support they need and deserve.

Many refugee families don’t live in official refugee camps – in fact, most live in informal tented settlements or within host communities in surrounding countries. The mass media content Sesame Workshop is developing will also promote mutual respect and understanding, both within displaced communities and between refugees and the host communities in which most refugees live.

Elmo’s new friends in Jordan told Elmo that they had to leave their homes because it wasn’t safe for them to stay. And that made them really sad and sometimes scared. A lot of them don’t even get to go to school at all anymore. That would make Elmo really sad. Elmo tried to help his new friends feel better by being kind to them the way Elmo’s friends on Sesame Street are kind to him. And Elmo hopes his new friends get settled into new homes and schools soon!

