Sesame Workshop launches new resources to support good financial choices

Responding to rising cost of living pressures both in Australia and overseas, the Sesame Workshop team have created free  bilingual videos, guides and articles to help caregivers and educators guide children in understanding the value of money and learning to make good financial choices. 

 

Sesame Workshop, the global impact nonprofit behind Sesame Street, created the new resources to help young children learn the basic concepts that serve as a foundation for financial education, including spending, sharing and saving money. 

 

There are bilingual videos, activity guides, and a range of articles which feature Sesame Street friends Elmo and his dad, Louie; Cookie Monster; Abby; Bert; and Ernie to help them learn about spending and saving, as well as the everyday moments they share that bring about joy in their lives.

 

In “Making a Spending Plan Together,” Cookie Monster learns about making a family spending plan with his mum, a resource created because thinking and planning ahead are key financial education skills. 

 

In “Elmo’s Spend, Share, and Save Jars,” Elmo and Louie help Abby learn about spending, sharing, and saving money. 

 

During a trip to the grocery store in “Wants and Needs with Bert and Ernie,” Bert helps Ernie learn an important financial education skill by teaching him about the difference between wants and needs. 

 

For Me, For You, For Later: First Steps to Spending, Sharing, and Saving are free digital guides specifically tailored for parents, caregivers, and educators to teach children financial basics for now and in the future, and come with an accompanying professional development guide.

 

“Empowering our children with foundational financial skills is not just about teaching dollars and cents; it’s about nurturing a lifetime of smart choices,” Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President of U.S. Social Impact, Sesame Workshop explained. 

 

“By fostering financial education from an early age, we equip our little ones with the tools they need to understand the true value of money and embrace a future of sound financial decisions.”  

 

The new resources, both in English and Spanish, may be found here. They are also being  distributed through the Sesame Street in Communities program, an initiative for community providers who serve families and help children face challenges big and small. Teachers, healthcare professionals, social workers, and any providers working with families and children, are invited to use and share Sesame Workshop’s large and growing library of bilingual resources and professional development tools, created to support them in their vital work. 

 

The resources have been created with generous support from the PNC Foundation through PNC Grow Up Great®, a nearly 20-year early childhood education initiative.