The 74 Million – Kate Stringer
“It was a crazy idea, and even today no one is sure who thought of it. It was the researchers. No, the screenwriters. Or maybe the advisers? Whoever it was, seven years ago, dozens of Sesame Workshop team members were sitting in a room preparing for the 41st season of Sesame Street. The mission was to create episodes that would teach children about STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math. That meant incorporating STEM throughout the show’s classic street scenes. But the team also wanted a character to embody the ideas of STEM in separate segments. Which furry, wide-eyed Muppet could pull it off? It was a critical question for a critical moment. Research showed that young children didn’t have a good understanding of their natural environment. American students scored lower on science and math tests than their international peers. The previous year, President Barack Obama had begun the Educate to Innovate Campaign to boost math and science education.”(more)