MacArthur Foundation awarded a $100 million grant to Sesame Workshop and International Rescue Committee (IRC) to educate young children displaced by conflict and persecution in the Middle East(Syria). The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee as joint winners of a competitive grant program aimed at solving critical problems. Their project was chosen from more than 1,900 submitted proposals.
Sesame Workshop and IRC will use the $100 million grant to implement an evidence-based, early childhood development intervention designed to address the “toxic stress” experienced by children in the Syrian response region—Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria. The project will improve children’s learning outcomes today and their intellectual and emotional development over the long term.
According to the President of MacArthur Julia Stasch, “We are compelled to respond to the urgent Syrian refugee crisis by supporting what will be the largest early childhood intervention program ever created in a humanitarian setting. We are compelled to respond to the urgent Syrian refugee crisis by supporting what will be the largest early childhood intervention program ever created in a humanitarian setting. Less than two percent of the global humanitarian aid budget is dedicated to education, and only a sliver of all education assistance benefits young children. The longer-term goal is to change the system of humanitarian aid to focus more on helping to ensure the future of young children through education.”
Each of the project’s three components is designed in consultation with local child development and curriculum experts, and each will help caregivers restore nurturing relationships and give their children the tools they need to overcome the trauma of conflict and displacement.
President & CEO of Sesame Workshop Jeffrey D. Dunn said, “The Syrian refugee crisis is the humanitarian issue of our time and we are deeply grateful for this incredible opportunity. For almost 50 years, Sesame has worked around the world to improve the lives of children and help them to grow smarter, stronger and kinder. This may be our most important initiative ever and we are humbled by the trust and confidence that has been placed in us. These children are, arguably, the world’s most vulnerable and by improving their lives we create a more stable and secure world for us all.”
According to the President and CEO of IRC David Miliband, “The 100&Change grant is a transformational investment that will bring hope and opportunity to a generation of refugee children. This MacArthur grant will create a model for investment in early childhood services around the world. IRC’s partnership with Sesame is an incredible validation of our determination to put education center-stage in humanitarian settings. At a time when governments are in retreat, NGOs and philanthropists need to step up, and that is what we are seeing here – and in a big way.”
Sesame Workshop has a long record of developing local versions of Sesame Street in places like Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan and South Africa. And the IRC brings its long and deep engagement in the refugee community and an established network of community workers and local facilities to the partnership. Sesame and IRC will receive the $100 million grant over five years and in accordance with established milestones that ensure the project remains on track. The success of the project will encourage a redirection of existing humanitarian aid, excite new donors, and provide a working model for local government support.
