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In the late sixties, Sesame Workshop, which was then known as the Children's Television Workshop, realized the potential for television to be used for educational purposes. They teamed up with Jim Henson and created Sesame Street. With our current cultural shift to the internet as our number one source for information and entertainment, Sesame Workshop has done it again, teaming up with Merrill Lynch to create Panwapa.com.
Panwapa Island is a traveling island that your children can visit whenever they want on the internet! The word 'Panwapa' comes from the Tshiluba language. Tshiluba is spoken in the Republic of the Congo in central Africa, and the word panwapa means "here on this earth." So the hope of Panwapa's creators are that panwapa.com will help teach children to be better citizens of the community.
Panwapa.com has taken its tone from, of all things, social networking sites. That being said, they are very protective of your child's information. In fact, they don't ask for it.
When your child creates a profile at Panwapa, they are asked what country they live in. They are then given a user ID that is randomly generated and very impersonal. (i.e. US12345) You then choose a password. That's it. Tip: Write your password down or let your browser remember it. Since they don't ask for emails, there's no way they can remind you later! Congratulations! Your child is now a Panwapa Kid!
Your child can then create an avatar, dress it in a way that reflects their culture or interests, even choose a backdrop that shows where they live. They can then create their own flag that represents their interests in food, animals, sports, instruments, activities, and crafts. When your child is done creating their profile, they can print a profile page. This is sort of a mini poster showing their avatar, background, and flag. They can also print Panwapa cards that are like trading cards featuring their profile!
My (almost!) three year old loved creating a character that looks like her, and then dressing herself, and then choosing her house. Apparently we live in a boat.
There are then many activities your child can participate in. One of my child's favorites is the treasure hunt. This is where the child is given clues that match the interests of other Panwapa kids. Your job in the treasure hunt is to find other Panwapa kids that are interested in those clues. Once you solve three clues, you are given a Panwapa card that, when clicked, takes you to that country and you can explore and meet other Panwapa kids on your own! (Again, no real information is exchanged!) During the treasure hunt, I encourage my child to click on other countries, in order to see the differences and similarities between our cultures.
There are many more exciting features on this site, including videos, games that teach other languages, a word of the day, and a place of the day.
From the official press release:
“A team of international cultural experts, early childhood researchers, educators and media specialists from nine countries and organizations such as Oxfam, UNICEF, and the World Bank first came up with the idea for Panwapa in 2005. Multi-national teams from Merrill Lynch and Sesame Workshop worked with the advisors to develop content for the program, focusing on messages of global citizenship for young children.”
Panwapa.com was officially launched on October 10, 2007. Panwapa is targeted for ages 4-7, and like Sesame Street, has just the right blend of fun and education. I highly recommend this site!
From the Press Release:
"About Sesame Workshop:
Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in children's lives around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Sesame Workshop is behind award-winning programs like Dragon Tales, Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, and Pinky Dinky Doo, and ground breaking multimedia productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia. As a nonprofit, Sesame Workshop puts the proceeds it receives from sales of Sesame Street, Dragon Tales, Sagwa, and Pinky products right back into its educational projects for children around the world. Find the Workshop online at www.sesameworkshop.org.
About the Merrill Lynch Foundation:
Merrill Lynch was founded on the idea that the world is full of opportunity. Opening the door to opportunity for underserved children and youth is the focus of the firm's global philanthropy. In 2006, the firm’s giving totaled more than $40 million, with education receiving one-third of that support. In 2005, Merrill Lynch launched its multi-million dollar Young Ambassadors initiative to cultivate the next generation of global ambassadors and world leaders. The campaign promotes innovative approaches to global education for young people and taps Merrill Lynch volunteer efforts, the expertise of leading organizations and educators across the sectors, and educational resources available free of charge at http://volunteer.ml.com."
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written by Joeprah, June 17, 2009
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