|
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 2, 2009) - Sesame
Workshop will air a PBS special April 1 aimed at helping military
families cope with changes.
"Rosita's father is in a wheelchair and [she] talks to Elmo
about her feelings," Barbara Thompson, director of the Defense
Department's Office of Family Policy/Children and Youth, said.
"Elmo very graciously says, 'You need to talk to your dad about
that.'"
Rosita does talk with her dad and learns that even though they
can't do all the things they used to, they can do other things.
"It gives this sense of relief that I can talk about the change.
That my dad is still my dad [and] my parent is still my parent,"
Thompson said. "It's very powerful for ... parents to see ... what
it's like from a child's perspective, what they're feeling and
experiencing."
Having celebrities participate also adds value, beyond the
"cool" factor, Thompson said.
"I think it ... draws a larger [portion] of the population to
the issues that military families [face]," she said. "It shows, I
think, people's interest."
The half-hour special, which will air at the beginning of the
"Month of the Military Child," is a part of Sesame Workshop's "Talk,
Listen, Connect" initiative, which began two years ago.
The first phase of the TLC program addressed the issues of
multiple deployments and their impact on young children. It
included the half-hour TV special, "When Parents Are Deployed,"
hosted by Cuba Gooding Jr.
The second phase, which includes the upcoming TV special,
addresses the issues of changes, both physical and psychological,
and the impact those changes can have on a family. It does this, in
part, by telling the stories of servicemembers with challenges like
post-traumatic stress disorder, and the struggles these families
face in finding the "new normal," Thompson said.
To help parents communicate better with their children on these
topics, the Sesame Workshop has created an informative kit in both
English and Spanish. Defense Department employees served as subject
matter experts for the Sesame Workshop kit, which contains two DVDs
and printed materials.
"Of course [the Sesame Workshop is] the creative force behind
it," Thompson said. "They know how to craft those messages so that
children really benefit from the comfort of the Sesame
characters."
More than 1.3 million kits are being distributed through
Military OneSource, an online resource available to families 24
hours a day, seven days a week. The materials also are available
through various military organizations. The Sesame Workshop Web
site also offers a variety of resources, including printed
material, and videos and music to help military families
communicate about issues affecting them.
"The range of media tools available through 'Talk, Listen,
Connect' truly provides fundamental ways for each family member to
support each other through all stages," Gary E. Knell, president
and chief executive officer of Sesame Workshop, said. "The deep
impact of this project continues to inspire us, which is why we are
excited to create [this] new special that will further champion the
needs of the military community and will help these families ...
find ways to be there for each other."
Sesame Workshop produced the special in association with
Lookalike Productions and David Letterman's production company,
Worldwide Pants Incorporated.
"The men and women of our military have made indescribable
sacrifices," Letterman said. "The very least we can do is tell
their stories, and to honor the bravery and strength of both the
Soldiers and their families."
The special is scheduled to air April 1, at 8 p.m.
EST.
|
