On June 27, The Paulson Institute and Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind the Sesame Street TV program, convened a panel of experts at Sesame Workshop’s headquarters in New York to discuss the launch of a children’s education outreach program focused on urban sustainability and conservation. Experts discussed the importance of educating the next generation and fostering a sense of stewardship for the environment as the key to successfully protecting the environment globally. Partnering with The Paulson Institute and Sesame Workshop to implement the program in China will be the China Association of Mayors and the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, led by former Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan. The specific program will be rolled out in December 2012 during the Paulson Institute’s annual urban sustainability seminar in Beijing.
Experts included Hank Paulson, Deborah Lehr and Evan Feigenbaum from the Paulson Institute; Hal Harvey, CEO of Energy Innovation; M. Sanjayan, Lead Scientist for The Nature Conservancy and CBS News Contributor; Mina Guli, Executive Director of Peony Capital; Sarah Lubman, a Partner at Brunswick; and Taiya Smith, a conservation consultant. Participating from Sesame Workshop included Sesame Workshop Founder, Joan Ganz Cooney; CEO Mel Ming; Sherrie Westin, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer; Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, Senior Vice President for Outreach; Dr. Charlotte Cole, Senior Vice President for International Education; Maura Regan, Vice President; and Shirley Zhu, Country Director for China.