How do we comfort Syrian refugee children when their world is in shambles? Sesame Street to the rescue! With 6 million children displaced because of the conflict in Syria, they don’t have schools or consistency. Many have witnessed the death of their parents, siblings, and friends. A new Sesame Street program called Ahlan Simsim in Arabic offers social-emotional skills, including coping strategies like counting to five and belly breathing.
The show features 2 characters who speak Arabic and features stories about having to leave their toys at their old home and other issues that the children face in their displacement. Art therapists, psychologist, and writers collaborated to develop these programs. Leave it to Sesame Street to do the research to develop shows that address children in crisis.
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