Indianola will be one of two communities that will be the focus of Delta Health Alliance’s latest partnership with Sesame Workshop called Sesame Street in Communities.
DHA announced this week that the early childhood initiative partnership between the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street will cover the Mississippi Delta, with a focus on Leland and Indianola.
“We are delighted to partner with Sesame Workshop to bring more early childhood resources to Delta children through Sesame Street in Communities,” said Karen Matthews, Delta Health Alliance CEO. “Sesame Street in Communities will help parents and providers in our community tackle everyday issues like building reading skills, developing healthy habits, and overcoming more challenging life experiences such as trauma, divorce and grief. We look forward to working together to build a circle of care for children in the Delta.”
Sesame Street in Communities is a nationwide initiative to support parents, caregivers and community providers in their efforts to give all children, especially the most vulnerable, a strong and healthy start.
Sesame Street in Communities selected the Delta because of the community’s existing collaborative efforts to improve children’s health and wellbeing, spearheaded by Delta Health Alliance and its approach to improving health outcomes through education, health and home visiting programs for children starting at birth, a release from DHA said.
According to the release, Sesame Street in Communities will launch their partnership with Delta Health Alliance with three days of activities, which include training for health and education providers on topics like school readiness, traumatic experiences and resilience, as well as an announcement celebration.
Sesame Street’s Elmo character will celebrate the announcement on Dec. 1 from Noon – 5 p.m. in downtown Leland at the annual Christmas on Deer Creek, sponsored by the Leland Chamber of Commerce.
Elmo will be available throughout the day, providing hugs and pictures for all families. Teams from Sesame Workshop and the Delta Health Alliance will be on hand to share the Sesame Street in Communities free tools and resources along with games and activities that focus on literacy, healthy habits and being resilient during challenging times.
Through the new partnership, Sesame Street in Communities and Delta Health Alliance are working together to reach parents and caregivers through Delta Health Alliance’s network to strengthen children’s school readiness, help children cope with traumatic experiences, and increase understanding of autism, DHA said.
Sesame Street in Communities will supplement programming at the Leland Medical Clinical and Universal Parenting Place as well as DHA’s community and home-based programs that seek to reach underserved children and families. Delta Health Alliance and Sesame Street in Communities will also provide resources that health and education providers can use to address difficult conversations with the families they serve.
“We are thrilled to bring Sesame Street in Communities to the Mississippi Delta, partnering with Delta Health Alliance – an organization that shares our mission of improving the health and wellbeing of the youngest children and their families,” said Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President of U.S. Social Impact, Sesame Workshop. “Sesame Street in Communities is built on the idea that we all have a role to play in helping every child grow up healthy, and we’re proud to support providers like Delta Health Alliance in their tremendous efforts to help every child thrive.”
Program participants will be able to use the Sesame Street in Communities resources through in-person events and training, virtual courses and videos to help children and families navigate challenges big and small.
Using the power of the beloved Muppets of Sesame Street, the resources are designed to build coping skills and foster nurturing connections between children and the caring adults in their lives. These resources are available for free in English and Spanish at www.sesamestreetincommunities.org.
Sesame Street in Communities is made possible by generous support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health, and the Joan Ganz Cooney Fund for Vulnerable Children.
Sesame Street in Communities services and resources will be available through Delta Health Alliance’s Leland Medical Clinic and their Early Head Start Childcare Partnership office located at 114 Second St. in Indianola.
For more information, contact DHA’s office at 662.686.7004.
