PR/PNA
MANILA — Children all over Metro Manila may now learn about road safety, waste management, and public safety in a fun way with Sesame Street’s Elmo, Cookie Monster, Big Bird, and their friends.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has recently teamed up with Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind the iconic television series, for a three-year educational campaign for kids.
The partnership launch took place at the Children’s Road Safety Park in Malate, Manila last March 18, 2019.
The collaboration aims to teach kids the values of discipline and responsibility in the context of MMDA’s functions.
The MMDA believes Sesame Street is the ideal partner for this endeavor since the show pioneered the educational program format for kids.
“We are very excited about this initiative which focuses on children, the future citizens of Metro Manila. It is everybody’s responsibility to teach kids respect for the rules and compassion for the community, and we at the MMDA are proud to be with Sesame Workshop at the frontline of this endeavor. We hope that through our line-up of activities under this partnership, the kids will carry out these lessons throughout childhood and into their adult lives as well,” MMDA chairman Danilo Lim said.
Meanwhile, Will DePippo, director Asia Pacific for Sesame Workshop, said, “For the last 50 years, Sesame Street has brought the life-changing benefits of early learning to children around the globe,”
“We’re proud to partner with MMDA on a campaign where Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird are helping to deliver educational messages in a fun and engaging way for children and their families,” he added.
The program started with the signing of the memorandum of agreement between Lim and DePippo.
Invited guests were then treated to an exclusive preview of the ongoing MMDA x Sesame Street Wall Art, which spans 500 meters and is done in partnership with Davies Paints.
The event concluded with children and members of the media taking a guided tour of the venue, the Children’s Road Safety Park.
Through the walkthrough, they were taught about traffic rules and regulations through the miniature street-related structures in the vicinity.
The MMDA hopes to mount a traveling road safety park of similar nature, which the agency will take to various cities around Metro Manila.
Within the three-year partnership, MMDA and Sesame Street will work hand in hand on activities such as but not limited to wall arts along the major thoroughfares of Metro Manila, a family fun run, the MMDA Children’s Handbook, and a children’s exposition, which is essentially a cross between an educational theme park and experiential museum.
