By Allison Watkinson
TLL Reporter
Sesame Workshop and the PNC Foundation have released new resources to help young children learn basic concepts related to financial education.
Sesame Workshop is a global nonprofit organization that focuses on educational resources, entertainment media, outreach programs, and research initiatives to support children and families worldwide.
The nonprofit organization is best-known as the producer of the long-standing educational entertainment series, Sesame Street.
“Empowering our children with foundational financial skills is not just about teaching dollars and cents; it’s about nurturing a lifetime of smart choices,” said Sesame Workshop SVP, Dr. Jeanette Betancourt. “By fostering financial education from an early age, we equip our little ones with the tools they need to understand the true value of money and embrace a future of sound financial decisions.”
The new educational resources include free bilingual videos, activity guides and articles that feature licensed Sesame Street characters such as Elmo, Louie, Abby, Bert, Ernie, and the Cookie Monster.
The videos, guides, and articles use Sesame Street characters to teach children about key aspects of financial literacy such as planning for future purchases, budgeting, saving money, and the difference between needs and wants.
The resources were created by Sesame Workshop with support from the PNC Grow Up Great childhood education initiative.
“Financial education is something PNC is passionate about, and Sesame helped us understand how the concepts could be applied to the early childhood age range we serve through PNC Grow Up Great,” said PNC Foundation president, Sally McCrady. “Through everyday moments, the resources provide a wonderful and fun way for parents and caregivers to introduce children to basic financial concepts as they talk about sharing, spending and saving.”
Principally funded by the PNC Financial Services Group, the PNC Foundation focuses on providing support to nonprofits that provide services related to childhood education, community and economic development.
Through its PNC Grow Up Great program, the foundation has created a multi-year, bilingual initiative to help prepare young children for future success.
The PNC x Sesame Workshop resources can be found in English and Spanish on the official Sesame Workshop website.
The licensed resources are also being distributed directly to community providers such as teachers, healthcare professionals, and social workers across the U.S. through the Sesame Street in Communities initiative.