Early Childhood Education in Humanitarian Settings
Project Overview
The global refugee crisis is the defining humanitarian issue of our time, with more than 33 million children forcibly displaced due to conflict and war across the world (UNICEF, 2021). All children need nurturing care, a comforting routine, and opportunities for learning through play in the critical early years of life (Black et al., 2022; Richter et al., 2017). Refugee children have exceptional needs due to trauma and vulnerability resulting from war and conflict. However, there are limited programs to support these children, and only a minimal amount of humanitarian assistance is allocated to early childhood development.
In response to the global humanitarian crisis, Sesame Workshop collaborated with the International Rescue Committee (IRC), BRAC, Global TIES for Children Center at New York University (NYU), and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) to develop and deliver early childhood development interventions for children living in exceptional circumstances in Jordan, Lebanon, Bangladesh, and Colombia. Funded by the MacArthur Foundation and the LEGO foundation, this is the largest early childhood intervention initiative developed and implemented in humanitarian settings. A key objective of these initiatives is to build evidence on “low-cost” approaches that can be scaled quickly to serve as many children and families as possible.
This effort included an evaluation component led by NYU’s renowned center, Global TIES for Children. The primary objectives of the evaluations are to estimate the effectiveness of five ECD approaches, as well as the costs to produce effects.
The interdisciplinary team from the CBCSE was invited to lead the cost research for these evaluations.
Projects
Audio Only, Phone-Based Reach Up and Learn – Ahlan Simsim
Audio-only, phone-based parenting intervention serving Syrian refugee children and families in Jordan.
* The Ahlan Simsim program is done in partnership with Global TIES for Children Center at NYU and IRC, and is funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
Remote Early Learning Program – Ahlan Simsim
Remote preschool program for Syrian refugee children and families in Lebanon delivered via WhatsApp group call.
* The Ahlan Simsim program is done in partnership with Global TIES for Children Center at NYU and IRC, and is funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
Ahlan Simsim Classroom Mass Media – Ahlan Simsim
Classroom mass media intervention providing Ahlan Simsim (“Welcome Sesame”) episodes focused on social-emotional development for Syrian refugee children in Jordan.
* The Ahlan Simsim program is done in partnership with Global TIES for Children Center at NYU and IRC, and is funded by the MacArthur Foundation.
Plaza Sésamo Home Video – Play to Learn
In-home intervention with Plaza Sésamo videos focused on social-emotional development for Venezuelan refugee children and families in Colombia.
For more information about Sesame Workshop’s work in Latin America, please click here.
* The Play to Learn program is done in partnership with IPA, and is funded by the LEGO foundation.
Father Engagement Home-Visiting – Play to Learn
Father home-visiting program serving Rohingya refugee families in Bangladesh focused on improving father’s engagement for child development.
* The Play to Learn program is done in partnerships with BRAC and IRC, and is funded by the LEGO foundation.
* All images on this page credit: Ryan Heffernan / Sesame Workshop