By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Sesame Workshop is launching its first in a series of Sesame Street Educational Play Centers (EPC) through an experiential licensing partnership with AVECS Creative Group.
Sesame Street Learn & Play is the first EPC that is set to launch, and will be located in the new LOTTE Department Store Dongtan in the Gyeonggi Province in South Korea.
Sesame Workshop and AVECS will also be launching four other EPC’s across South Korea over the next five years.
“We are thrilled to be launching Sesame Workshop’s first Educational Play Center in South Korea, where Sesame Street has been a beloved and recognized brand for many years,” said Will DePippo, Senior Director of Asia Pacific at Sesame Workshop. “We know that playful learning boosts academic skills, as well as physical and social-emotional development.”
“Combining our 50+ years of producing world-renowned educational content and themed attractions with AVECS’ industry-leading expertise in building best-in-class experiential offerings locally, we are expanding our efforts to help South Korean children become creative and engaged learners for life,” DePippo added.
AVECS Creative Group is a Seoul-based licensing agency that specializes in experiential licensing and brand building.
“We are excited to partner with Sesame Workshop to present the world’s first Educational Play Center in South Korea,” said AVECS CEO Park Hong-bin. “Sesame Street Learn & Play Center is a unique multi-educational play facility for children of all ages—offering fun-filled activities, recreation and play in an environment based on the philosophy of the household education brand that all Koreans love and trust—Sesame Street.”
Sesame Workshop is the non-profit media and educational organization that created the popular children’s program, Sesame Street. The organization’s focus is aiding disadvantaged children through a broad range of media, formal education, and social impact programs. Sesame Workshop is currently present in more than 150 countries.
As interest in location-based entertainment and in-person experiences continues to grow internationally, Sesame Workshop is focused on creating a variety of in-person educational experiences for families.
“South Korea is the first location for what we plan to be a multi-market approach for Sesame Street EPCs,” said Jen Ahearn, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Sesame Workshop. “We will work with regional partners to customize our proprietary curriculum to adapt to local cultural needs and provide interactive, playful, and learning experiences that encourage children to connect and engage in their world.”
The Sesame Street EPC offers a Learn through Play model with activities such as skills classes, interactive play experiences, and Sesame Street character interactions. The Centers will also offer food, beverage, and merchandising opportunities.
“Our goal at Sesame Street Learn & Play is for kids to have a positive, playful learning experience, inspiring them to become lifelong learners and helping them thrive in all aspects of their growth,” said Choi Soung-ah, Executive Vice President, AVECS Creative Group. “We want all kids to leave the center feeling like they were successful.”
Classes at the EPC will include cooking, science, art, music & dance, and sensory play. The décor will feature Sesame Street’s licensed characters and scenery.
Sesame Street is available in South Korea on free-to-air public broadcaster EBS and via Pay-TV on CJ E&M. Sesame Street content can also be accessed through the LG Smart TV app as well as on Korean streaming platform, Coupang Play.
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