'Sesame Street' crew launches emotional well-being initiative during Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and even Elmo and friends are joining in on the call for a more expansive look at youth mental health. Led by Sesame Workshop, Sesame Street's nonprofit educational arm, the organization's new campaign is focused on supporting the emotional well-being of young children.

"Responding to the growing mental health crisis for young children and building on decades of experience developing social-emotional learning content for families, the Workshop will address this critical need through a wide range of activities and engaging content designed for the whole family and available on multiple platforms to reach children and families wherever they are," the organization wrote in its announcement. "The youngest children are often overlooked in discussions about mental health — but there’s growing evidence that young children are struggling, now more than ever."

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Sesame Workshop's organization-wide initiative is responding to a February report by the American Association of Pediatrics, which declared a nationwide mental health crisis among children.

"Our country is not meeting the behavioral health needs of our young people," the researchers wrote. "Although problems with the pediatric mental health system have been known for decades, recent factors, including the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, accelerated its breakdown... The factors driving this crisis are complex, but not insurmountable."

The campaign will offer strategies caregivers, families, and community providers can use to recognize signs of emotional distress in children and to offer support regulating strong feelings and gaining essential social-emotional skills.

As part of the multi-year, multi-platform campaign, families can enjoy the Sesame Street neighbors in a range of cross-platform content, including a new 45-minute YouTube special called "Elmo's Mindfulness Spectacular," in which the iconic character learns how to calm anxiety ahead of the "The Big YouTube Talent Show." The group is joined by celebrities and creators like Jenny Slate, Juanpa Zurita, and LaurDIY to learn about mindfulness and calming activities.

Credit: Sesame Street/ Sesame Workshop

Credit: Sesame Street/ Sesame Workshop

Other resources include a special parenting-oriented episode of The Happiness Lab podcast hosted by Yale professor Dr. Laurie Santos. The episode will feature Sesame Workshop CEO Steve Youngwood and Kay Wilson Stallings, executive vice president and chief production and creative development officer, along with Elmo, who will share additional emotional regulation strategies for parents and caregivers. It'll be followed by another three-episode series on happiness featuring beloved characters and songs of Sesame Street.

Sesame Workshop will also bring its Goodnight, World! podcast back for a second season, in partnership with meditation app Headspace. "Developed by a team of early childhood and meditation experts, Goodnight, World! reimagines the popular sleepcast format to help children practice transitioning from their active days to naptime or bedtime," the organization wrote.

The campaign will venture into literature with a six-book series based on Sesame Street’s "Monster Meditation” videos on YouTube in partnership with Headspace and Penguin Random House, as well. The organization also announced a publishing collaboration with Mayo Clinic Press Kids, an imprint of Mayo Clinic Press, to create a line of "whole-body health" and emotional well-being books slated for fall 2024.

In addition, a newly launched Sesame Workshop resource hub houses a digital storybook, activity sheets, videos, and activities, including resources in English and Spanish, to support parents, caregivers, and providers in promoting a strong foundation of emotional well-being. Video resources also can be streamed on PBS Kids.

In April, Sesame Workshop partnered with the Ad Council to release a Sound it Out campaign PSA called "Me & My Grown-Up," a sing-along video about the importance of nurturing caregivers in a child's emotional development. And, looking worldwide, a primetime episode of Takalani Sesame, Sesame Street's South African show, will premiere on May 20, titled "The Big Feelings Special."

"We at Sesame hold a vision of a world in which all children can flourish and feel the joyfulness of life and do so with appreciation for their own mental health and well-being. Through the power of our beloved characters and proven resources, we’re raising awareness about the importance of nurturing children’s emotional well-being and lessening the stigma associated with seeking support for children’s mental health," said Sherrie Westin, president of Sesame Workshop.

To learn more about the new Sesame Workshop resources, visit the organization's emotional well-being hub. Families can tune in to Sesame Street on HBOMax.

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