Gary E. Knell, president and CEO of Sesame Workshop, will discuss "Muppet Diplomacy: How Sesame Street is Changing Our World," from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at Duke University.
The event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by The Center for Child and Family Policy and the Hart Leadership Program at Duke. Knell will speak in room 04 of the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy, on Duke's West Campus.
Founded in 1968 as Children's Television Workshop, Sesame Workshop now produces more than 30 international co-productions of Sesame Street, reaching audiences in more than 140 countries. Knell has been instrumental in focusing the nonprofit educational organization on its global mission of creating media content to address current issues, such as literacy, health practices, HIV/AIDS, and respect and understanding around the globe.
To further its mission, Sesame Workshop has formed alliances with organizations such as UNICEF, RAND Corporation, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Library Association, the European Union and more.
Kenneth Dodge, the William McDougall Professor of Public Policy and director of the Center for Child and Family Policy, said he is interested in hearing Knell speak about how Sesame Workshop uses research as the starting place for making a difference in the lives of children and families.
"Sesame Workshop and Sesame Street have earned a reputation for cutting-edge TV programming that has a positive impact on children's lives," Dodge said. "We hope to engage with Mr. Knell about how they use scientific research to develop educational programming and how they use rigorous evaluation to improve their effectiveness. At the center, we put our research to work in the real world by making connections with policymakers and practitioners, and we look forward to this opportunity."
In addition to his role with Sesame Workshop, Knell is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, serves as a director of the executive search firm Heidrick and Struggles, is on the board of governors of the National Geographic Education Foundation and is a board member of AARP Services Inc., Save the Children, Business for Diplomatic Action and American Public Television. He is also an advisor to WFUV public radio at Fordham University, the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California and Common Sense Media.
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The Center for Child and Family Policy, which is affiliated with the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy and the Social Science Research Institute at Duke University, bridges the gap between research and public policy to improve the lives of children and families. For more information on the center, visit <www.childandfamilypolicy.duke.edu>.