 Launching Ceremony of Shara' Simsim Project at the Ministry of Education. Children group photo with the Sesame Street Characters. |
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THE GOALS
Provide quality media educational programming to pre-school children who do not have the opportunity to attend formal pre-school education.
Provide pre-school children with the knowledge in alphabets, numbers and life and social skills.
Build the local capacity of Palestinian moderate organizations to develop and sustain quality children’s education media.
Support the new Education Development Strategic Plan for the years (2008-2012).
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To be determined
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CONTACT INFORMATION
Program Director: Robert Knezevic
Email: robert.knezevic@sesameworkshop.org
Address:
One Lincoln Plaza,
New York
NY 10023
Tel: 212-875 6464
Fax: 212-875 6118
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USAID/WEST BANK GAZA CONTACT INFORMATION
Education Develepment Office Director:
Thomas Johnson
Email: tjohnson@usaid.gov
Project Manager:
Nadia Basel
Email: nbasel@usaid.gov
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SUMMARY:
The Shara’ Simsim Project – also known as Sesame Street– is a $1.9 million, USAID-funded, 2 year and 4 month project which is implemented by Sesame Workshop. Shara’ Simsim will build local capacity, provide quality educational programming for children and undertake educational outreach at the community level. This multi-media approach will fill a need for quality pre-school educational media intervention through mobilizing local organizations that target children, thus ensuring the sustainability of the quality of children’ educational media. The project is carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education of the Palestinian National Authority.
The Shara’ Simsim Project has five main objectives:
1. Serve as a catalyst for positive change by promoting children’s sense of their own Palestinian identity.
2. Serve as a means to deal with the emotional well being of Palestinian children specifically boys.
3. Build local capacity within moderate organizations to develop and sustain quality children’s educational media.
4. Create a network of stakeholders and partners vested in Shara’ Simsim’ mission to use all available media to reach children and families with educationally sound and socially positive messages.
5. Support the new Education Development Strategic Plan.
The project will be implemented through two specific interventions:
• Educational Research and Content Development
• Television and Outreach Material Production
Through a Content Seminar with MOEHE staff, education specialists, educators, producers, content specialists, and researchers the first intervention will develop the educational focus of the television series and outreach material. This process will be formalized into the Statement of Educational Objectives document that will serve as the guidebook for writers, directors and producers. The project will produce two seasons of 26 episodes each; 20 public service announcements, and outreach material in the form of posters, books, guidebooks, DVDs. Training will also be provided to teachers and educators on how to use the outreach material.
USAID’s Shara’ Simsim Project is implemented through Sesame Workshop who works in partnership with two Palestinian local organizations PEN Media and Al Quds University’ Institute for Modern Media.
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