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IDB Partners with Ministry of Education and Youth and Sesame Workshop to Strengthen Early Childhood Development

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has joined forces with the Ministry of Education and Youth (MOEY) and Sesame Workshop to bring over 200 educational Sesame Street episodes to Jamaican children via the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ).

The initiative aims to provide young learners with high-quality educational content that encourages healthy habits, socioemotional well-being, and academic skills. It is part of the IDB's Digital Transformation for Teaching and Learning project, which supports the MOEY as it advances the national digital transformation roadmap for education.

The roadmap is focused on boosting the teaching and learning process, providing learning opportunities for all as well as efficient management and administration of the education system. It will also promote innovations in information and communications technology (ICT). The MOEY and the IDB have been collaborating to execute this roadmap to help strengthen Jamaica's education sector.

The Honourable Fayval Williams, Minister of Education and Youth, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, noting, "Making Sesame Street available in our Jamaican households will undoubtedly strengthen early childhood development and have a positive impact on our young children. Our commitment is for every Jamaican child to have access to quality educational content. This partnership with the IDB and Sesame Street is a testament to our commitment to providing a strong foundation for Jamaica’s future.”

Anton Edmunds, the IDB's Country Representative in Jamaica and General Manager for the Caribbean said, "The IDB is committed to supporting the education sector in Jamaica. We believe that by increasing access to educational content, investing in early childhood initiatives, and supporting professional development for teachers, we can enhance learning outcomes for Jamaican children."

As a complement to the Sesame Street episodes, the IDB has financed the creation of "Learning Through Play" resources that can be used at school or at home. These resources, developed with the Early Childhood Commission (ECC) and MOEY, are focused on several areas including creative expression, our environment, language, math, and healthy habits.

The resources were designed as guides for teachers and parents to help children develop holistically while playing and watching educational shows like Sesame Street. The IDB is partnering with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to make the resources available on Jamaica’s Learning Passport.  

 Access "Learning Through Play" resources here 



PBCJ broadcasts Sesame Street from Monday to Saturday between 3:00 to –5:00 pm.

About the IDB

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the IDB works with the region’s public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries. 

Contacts

Garcia,Geraldine

Garcia,Geraldine
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