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ORIGINAL MUPPETS CREATED TO CULTIVATE NEW GENERATION OF GLOBALLY RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSSesame Workshop and Merrill Lynch Partner to Create Global Citizenship Initiative FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. New York, New York.– Elmo, Big Bird and Oscar are world-renowned, but it's their new counterparts, "Azibo," "Athena," and "Baabra" who are the focus of a new worldwide initiative. Children today are growing up in an increasingly interconnected world full of opportunities and challenges that require them to develop new skills and perspectives. To meet this need, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, and The Merrill Lynch Foundation have created a Worldwide Kids initiative called Panwapa launching today. Panwapa, which means "here on this earth" in the Tshiluba language, aims to foster the foundation for global citizenship and community activism in young children, ages 4 to 7. Featuring an entirely new group of Muppet characters, Panwapa consists of an interactive website, www.panwapa.com, a DVD, and print materials that are available in five languages to children around the world—Arabic, English, Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish. "With offices in 36 countries, Merrill Lynch understands the need for global awareness and is committed to providing children the tools to be effective participants in an increasingly global economy," said Stan O'Neal, Chairman of the Board, CEO and President, Merrill Lynch. "We partnered with Sesame Workshop because no one captures children's hearts and minds as memorably as the furry friends at Sesame Street. Our 60,300 employees around the world are eager to bring the Panwapa content alive by volunteering at preschools, community centers and child care centers in their communities." "Sesame Workshop has provided children with tools they need to reach their highest potential for over 37 years utilizing all forms of media," said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO, Sesame Workshop. "Panwapa is a groundbreaking program that will help children to develop an understanding of their culture, an appreciation for differences and similarities of others, and a passion for the people, issues and ideas that help to shape our world." A team of international cultural experts, early childhood researchers, educators and media specialists from nine countries and organizations such as Oxfam, UNICEF, and the World Bank first came up with the idea for Panwapa in 2005. Multi-national teams from Merrill Lynch and Sesame Workshop worked with the advisors to develop content for the program, focusing on messages of global citizenship for young children. The international advisory board, led by Dr. Charlotte Frances Cole, Vice President for Education and Research at Sesame Workshop, developed five broad educational goals for the project:
The website, www.panwapa.com, is the center of the initiative. The experience begins on Panwapa Island, a floating island that travels the oceans of the world, where children and their caregivers will enter the virtual Panwapa community and meet newly created Muppet characters such as "Athena the Owl" and "Azibo the Monster." Children will be able to travel around the world and visit with Panwapa kids from other countries, watch interactive movies, learn words in other languages, and collect Panwapa Cards by going on international treasure hunts. In addition, 200,000 Panwapa educational kits will be distributed to caregivers in the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, China, Hong Kong, Jordan and Mexico to encourage long-term exploration of the issues. The kit includes a DVD, a caregiver magazine with an activity section for children, a board game that reinforces the lessons, and a map of the world to support and complement the Panwapa experience. "21st century children live in the global village from the moment they are born. The sooner they learn to think of this as a wonderful, fun adventure, the better global citizens they will grow into," stated David Woollcombe, Founder and President, Peace Child International and Panwapa Advisor. "I am delighted that Sesame Workshop has taken upon itself the task of introducing its young audiences to their global neighborhood: their experience and creativity equips them better than any other organization to ensure that young people all over the world come to view the global neighborhood as a cornucopia of opportunities." About Sesame Workshop:Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in children's lives around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Sesame Workshop is behind award-winning programs like Dragon Tales, Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, and Pinky Dinky Doo, and ground breaking multimedia productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia. As a nonprofit, Sesame Workshop puts the proceeds it receives from sales of Sesame Street, Dragon Tales, Sagwa, and Pinky products right back into its educational projects for children around the world. Find the Workshop online at www.sesameworkshop.org. About the Merrill Lynch Foundation:Merrill Lynch was founded on the idea that the world is full of opportunity. Opening the door to opportunity for underserved children and youth is the focus of the firm's global philanthropy. In 2006, the firm's giving totaled more than $40 million, with education receiving one-third of that support. In 2005, Merrill Lynch launched its multi-million dollar Young Ambassadors initiative to cultivate the next generation of global ambassadors and world leaders. The campaign promotes innovative approaches to global education for young people and taps Merrill Lynch volunteer efforts, the expertise of leading organizations and educators across the sectors, and educational resources available free of charge at volunteer.ml.com. ### Press Contacts: Selena Morris |
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