Sesame Workshop talks about helping kids cope with extreme weather

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Sesame Workshop Vice President Rocio Galarza joined our own Frankie Jupiter on Tuesday, Aug. 11 to discuss how Sesame Street aims to help children and families prepare for and recover from extreme weather.

Galarza said the current initiative was driven by research showing children born in 2020 are predicted to experience up to seven times more extreme weather events than those born in 1960.

Funded by the PSEG Foundation, the effort includes a new Sesame Street special in which Elmo and his friends prepare for a storm together using strategies like breathing techniques and comfort items, then take part in age-appropriate community rebuilding afterward.

Sesame Workshop also addressed extreme weather in 2001 with a series of episodes about Big Bird losing his nest in a hurricane, Galarza said, and has revisited the topic after events including Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy.

The new special is available to watch on Netflix and PBS Kids, with a YouTube release set for Sept. 25. Additional materials, including videos, printables, guides and storybooks, can be found by clicking here.