This Day in History: 11/10/1969, Sesame Street Debuts!

Photo Courtesy of WSJ

On this day in 1969, Sesame Street started a television program that would touch the lives of all children. They set aside race, skin color, gender, ethnic background, societal/economic status, or any form of disabilities to provide a well rounded and inclusive experience for all children.

Sesame Street brought out many thought provoking topics and helped millions, if not billions of kids through the years by showing them different ways of dealing with those issues at hand. From being in a blended family, to talking should opioids, to being a foster child, having disabilities, or even HIV. Over their 53 year span they have talked about so much more and have had some amazing celebrities, political figures, athletes, doctors, teachers, and other world leaders come on the show to also help shed light about what was going on.

They taught not just children or parents but also everyone else around the world who tuned in the act of kindness, the importance of being yourself, voicing your emotions, showing empathy, and getting through tough times with many coping strategies. There is a character for everyone on that show and it is truly inspirational.

Sesame Street was also a giant in televising and programming educational or academic skits too. From literacy to numbers, problem solving, turn taking, color identification, shape identification. The list goes on and on. It amazes me how a television show can have the same or if not more of an impact on child development than in-school learning while in pre-k. Through modeling and repetition, Sesame Street has made generational changes in children over the years.

Thank you, Sesame Street.