Q&A with Dr. Charlotte Frances Cole

Question and Answer with Dr. Charlotte Frances Cole, Vice President for Education and Research at Sesame Workshop in New York. Dr. Cole oversees the research and curriculum development on the company’s international co-production projects, including adaptations of Sesame Street. Working with educators and production teams throughout the world, she has most recently been engaged in projects in Bangladesh, Egypt, Kosovo, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, and South Africa.

How did Panwapa come about?

Panwapa came about as an extension of Sesame Workshop and Merrill Lynch’s Talking Cents initiative, created in 2001. Designed for kids ages 3 - 6, it promotes the values and behaviors that underlie good financial habits in life. In 2004, we began discussions about the next phase of partnership. The Merrill Lynch Foundation had just established its Global Ambassadors signature program to position young people as global citizens by engaging them in global issues and teaching them the art of diplomacy. For Sesame Workshop, the need to promote a more positive global understanding post-9/11 was coming into focus. As such, Panwapa represents one of Sesame Workshop’s responses to this need and a way for Merrill Lynch to help cultivate global citizens early in life. By offering children ages 4 to 7 media content that helps build their awareness of the diverse world in which we live, Panwapa provides the building blocks for learning good citizenship and gaining knowledge about the lives of others in today’s world.

What is Panwapa Island and where on earth is it?

Panwapa is a fictional floating island that travels the five oceans of the world. In the Tshiluba language, spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa, the word “panwapa” means “here on this earth.” Accordingly, Panwapa Island is here, but also everywhere; and its inhabitants are simply “of the earth” and citizens of the global community. It’s a place where children from all the over the world can explore and grow. On this colorful floating island, brought to life by lovable characters and engaging stories, children will learn to become thoughtful, active participants in our fast-changing world. Panwapa is a place where children learn about being citizens not only of their own communities and countries but also of the whole planet.

Why was it decided to create original Muppets versus using the Sesame Street Muppets?

We decided to use new Muppet characters for two reasons. First, we are targeting kids who are older than our Sesame Street audience and we wanted a new set of characters designed specifically for children in that age range. Second, our reach is global, not just domestic. With that in mind, we needed to create a community of characters that would carry the international aspects of the project and not be oriented to any one country. I should mention as well, though, that in being Muppets they are connected to the existing international Sesame Street community, a link that we hope to develop even more in the future.

Why should children visit Panwapa?

Because Panwapa is safe and fun! It is a novel way to explore the world. It is a place where children are introduced to and learn about other children. For many kids, Panwapa will be the first introduction to the wider world. As we all become more interconnected it is essential that children gain a sense of the global context in which they live and the contribution that they can make to it. What better way to do this than in an environment specifically designed for children.

What do you hope children will learn when visiting Panwapa?

Panwapa has a rich educational framework that was developed by an international team of educators who determined that there are essentially five lessons that children in our target group should gain from their involvement in Panwapa. First, children need to gain an awareness of the wider world in which they live and an understanding of the linkage between local neighborhoods, communities, and national and global issues. Second, they need to appreciate similarities among people and value differences. Third, they need to take responsibility for their behaviors and become aware of the ways in which their actions impact others. Fourth, they need to build a desire to participate in their communities both locally and globally and be willing to take action. Fifth, and finally, they need to understand and become responsive to the economic disparities that exist in the world and build an understanding that all people share certain basic needs and that differences in resources affect individuals’ abilities to fulfill these needs.

Of course, all of this is a tall order for 4-, 5-, 6- and 7-year-olds. The activities we promote in Panwapa are designed to address these goals in an age-appropriate fashion. We see Panwapa as a way to build a foundation for future learning. Our aim is to lay requisite building blocks that will stimulate children as they grow to become aware of these issues and become more active global citizens in the future.

What makes Panwapa unique to anything Sesame Workshop has done before?

Panwapa is Sesame Workshop’s first effort targeting a global audience. It was conceived with input from advisors throughout the world which is in contrast to other productions that have been designed for a specific country or region. In addition, the fact that the project leads with an online component, rather than television, is something that will promote an entirely different outcome from our other projects. We are building a user-led community of kids from around the world. Panwapa is a place where we, as the producers, will learn from children’s engagement. We will follow children’s lead and from the feedback we get from our users, this new community will adapt and grow to best fit the needs of its participants.

What makes Panwapa different from any other online interactive experience for children?

Panwapa offers young children an opportunity to explore the world virtually and connect with other Panwapa kids around the globe. In doing so, children can come to appreciate their similarities and embrace differences. They can also come to understand that they are part of the world that is made up of different kinds of communities that are defined not just by geopolitical boundaries, but by shared interests. This interactive experience is offered in 5 languages (Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, Japanese, and English) and is heavily informed by an educational framework established by an international panel of advisors. Such an immersive and educational experience has yet to be created for children of this age group.

Why did Sesame Workshop decide to use online as the primary focus and distribution tool for Panwapa?

For a global project, online is the most efficient distribution vehicle, particularly for one, such as Panwapa, that is community based. Having said that, though, we are sensitive to the fact that online access is still very limited globally so, while the online piece is the primary distribution mode, we are also making the materials available on DVD and in print through partnerships with educational organizations that will help us bolster our reach to as many children as possible.