Sesame Workshop launches initiative to help children and families prepare for extreme weather
As extreme weather events grow more frequent and intense, Sesame Workshop announced the launch of its new initiative to help children, families, and communities prepare for, cope with, and recover from extreme weather like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. With funding from longtime partner PSEG Foundation, the initiative debuts with a new storm‑themed Sesame Street special premiering on Netflix and PBS KIDS on Monday, August 3, and on YouTube in September, along with View-and-Do activities and trusted educational resources to help families navigate whatever weather comes their way.
A Brand New Special with Celebrity Guests
In the Storm on Sesame Street special, Elmo and his friends work together to get ready for a big storm, learning how to be prepared, have courage, and calm their bodies and minds when things feel scary. After the storm passes, Sesame Street looks different, and everyone pitches in to help their neighbors rebuild their homes. With the help of the neighborhood, including celebrity guests Post Malone and Michelle Buteau, Elmo and Abby set out to make a difference and discover that small acts of kindness and support from friends, can make the biggest difference of all. Storm on Sesame Street builds on the legacy and impact of the iconic Sesame Street Gets Through a Storm, which premiered in 2001 on PBS KIDS and re-aired in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina (2005) and Superstorm Sandy (2012). In that special episode, Big Bird's nest was destroyed in a hurricane, and the community came together to help rebuild it.
Addressing a Growing Need
Extreme weather is affecting more families than ever. Children born in 2020 are projected to experience up to seven times more extreme weather events than those born in 1960, and one in five Americans has had to evacuate their homes due to these events. In a national survey, two in three parents (64%) reported experiencing one or more extreme weather events in the past two years. Such weather events can lead to displacement, home damage, increased utility bills, negative health impacts, and less time outside. It often leads to disruptions in school and childcare. Among parents who experienced extreme weather, the majority (78%) worried about the impact on their children.
Sesame Workshop's Extreme Weather response initiative builds on the lessons in the special and will provide research-based resources to support families before, during, and after extreme weather events. The content, featuring Sesame Street friends, will help children understand what's happening around them, manage big feelings, and take simple, empowering steps to stay safe, such as noticing helpers and being one too.