Sesame Street premiered on television in the fall of 1969, during a time that has been referred to as both revolutionary and confusing. In a world that was moving at an incredibly fast pace, the show quickly became a great place for kids and their parents to gather. Fast forward to 2020. Our world today can also be looked upon as revolutionary and confusing, and Sesame Street is the perfect place for family members of all ages to learn about it.

I’m one of many who remember growing up watching Sesame Street on television. My children watched it when they were younger, and I have friends whose grandchildren have watched it as well. Not only has it taught lessons of basic arithmetic and language skills, Sesame Street has been instrumental in teaching us about other people, events in the world, and most importantly, how we all fit together.

As we continue to look at free resources PBS Learning Media provides, it’s worth mentioning that Sesame Street remains on the air after over 50 years and is still impacting learners in thoughtful and positive ways. The show is broadcast in 30-minute episodes that air at 10 a.m. and noon on Panhandle PBS, and in hour-long shows airing at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. on PBS Kids 24/7. The “Schedule” tab at www.panhandlepbs.org contains updated information on our entire schedule.

PBS has also taken the content of Sesame Street and repurposed it in really useful ways as Sesame Street in Communities. The content has been organized by topic, and customized for use by providers and educators. Like the show, beloved characters are included to help teach valuable lessons. For example, click on “Health Emergencies” on the “Topics” tab, and you’ll find a video of Elmo showing the importance of washing your hands and one of Grover showing the proper way of sneezing and coughing safely. There are also printables to color that reinforce those tips and workshops designed for learning school subjects at home. That and much more is available at www.sesamestreetincommunities.org

Panhandle PBS is proud to partner with many organizations to make PBS Learning Media more effective for so many in the Texas Panhandle. If you’re someone who has used it, as an educator or a parent, we would love to hear from you. Please send an email to panhandlepbs@actx.edu with “PBS Learning Media” in the title. We want to share any information we can to help those who are doing so much to educate our children.

Overheard through the years on Sesame Street:

“Bad days happen to everyone, but when one happens to you, just keep doing your best and never let a bad day make you feel bad about yourself.” — Big Bird

“Where there is life, there is hope.” – Grover

So many people in our community are going above and beyond their regular duties right now, giving us their best so we can feed our families and educate our children. Thanks to all of them helping us to live as our lives as normally as we can, we have hope even in confusing times.

Brian Frank

Panhandle PBS Content Producer