World Vision & Sesame Workshop Partner to Teach Kids Lifesaving Health and Hygiene Lessons

SEATTLE (November 10, 2015) – For the first time, Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street, and World Vision, a Christian humanitarian organization, are teaming up this holiday season with a special charitable gift in the World Vision Gift Catalog. The Sesame Street™ WASH UP! Kit  featuring Elmo and Sesame’s lovable new Muppet™ Raya uses books, DVDs, and games to bring friendly and furry interactive learning experiences about life-saving water, sanitation, and hygiene behaviors to schoolchildren in Africa.

“The greatest global health challenge to children today is from diseases related to water, sanitation, and hygiene, and these diseases are largely preventable by basic behavior changes,” said Sherrie Westin, Executive Vice President for Global Impact and Philanthropy at Sesame Workshop. “Our Muppets have the ability to inspire and engage children and model good behaviors, and as we know, children often become a catalyst for the entire family. We’re thrilled to partner with World Vision to reach and influence as many children and families as possible.”

Tragically, nearly 1,000 children die each day from diarrhea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation and hygiene practices. The messages in this new kit are focused on a few simple ways to change children’s behaviors that are proven to keep them healthy, including washing hands with soap, using clean toilets and wearing sandals to the toilet.

Shoppers can gift the Sesame Street™ WASH UP! Kit for $100 and provide brightly printed education materials, engaging videos and fun activities to empower children to take the important health lessons they learn in school to their families and into their communities. Each kit is designed for use with large groups of children in schools where World Vision works and includes materials like a storybook with corresponding discussion questions and activities, two large game mats, a DVD featuring Raya and Elmo and teacher support guide.

“World Vision and Sesame Street believe that children can not only receive but also deliver critical health messages that can save lives,” said Dr. Greg Allgood, World Vision’s Vice President for Water. “With the help of people this Christmas season, we’ll be able to invest in providing fun educational programs in schools that reach children in the developing world and build upon World Vision’s current efforts that are reaching four new schools every day with clean water and improved sanitation and hygiene.”

Thanks to generous support from donors around the world, World Vision reaches one new person with clean water every 30 seconds, and earlier this year, announced its new commitment to provide one new person with clean water every 10 seconds by 2020.

Gifts purchased through World Vision’s Gift Catalog can be personalized in the name of a friend or loved one.  To order from World Vision’s Gift Catalog, visit www.worldvisiongifts.org or call 1-855-WV-GIFTS.

About Sesame Street

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street which reaches 156 million children across more than 150 countries. The Workshop’s mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger and kinder. Delivered through a variety of platforms, including television programs, digital experiences, books and community engagement, its research-based programs are tailored to the needs of the communities and countries they serve. For more information, visit us at www.sesameworkshop.org.

About World Vision:
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization conducting relief, development, and advocacy activities in its work with children, families, and their communities in nearly 100 countries to help them reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. For more information, please visit www.WorldVision.org/media-center/ or on Twitter @WorldVisionUSA.

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