Kathryn Leech, Ph.D., an associate professor and the Richard “Dick” Coop Faculty Scholar in Education at the UNC School of Education, is helping Sesame Workshop shape a newly launched initiative designed to prepare young children — who will never know a world without AI — to become confident, lifelong learners.
In June, Leech joined a group of experts convened by Sesame Workshop for a roundtable in New York City to explore the skills children will need amid rapid social, technological, and environmental change; which approaches can best nurture those skills; and what environments can help children learn and thrive.
As part of the initiative, Sesame Workshop is developing a multi-year, scalable program that will use public libraries as spaces for playful learning. The project is funded by Britebound, a national nonprofit focused on youth career readiness.
The program will ultimately provide Sesame Workshop resources intended to help young children develop confidence as learners and build skills that can support them in the workplace of the future and throughout their lives.
During the roundtable, the advisors explored five key areas:
- Nurturing Uniquely Human Skills: What are the skills and traits children will need to become lifelong learners and succeed in the workplace?
- Encouraging Positive Mindsets and Beliefs: How can we help preschoolers build confidence and spark motivation?
- Helping Preschoolers Think About the Future: How do young children think beyond the here and now, and what is the benefit of helping them place themselves in future scenarios?
- Considering the Future of Work: What will this next generation need to succeed? What will “career readiness” mean for them?
- Leveraging the Power of Libraries: How can these informal community settings help nurture essential skills and traits? How can we design playful learning environments within libraries?
“Sesame Workshop does really incredible work translating research into impact for children and families,” Leech said. “To bring my expertise to the roundtable and to think about how my work will serve children now, but also well into their adulthood and working life, is both an honor and humbling. I’m excited to play any part that I can in contribution to the big questions that were being asked.”
Leech’s research focuses on how everyday interactions — such as conversations between parents and children — shape language and cognitive development during early childhood. Specifically, she is interested in how conversations with adults help children learn language and acquire knowledge about the world.
In addition to Leech, advisors included:
- Tequilla Brownie, Ed.D., MSW, chief executive officer of The New Teacher Project
- Vanessa Bermudez, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychological science at Loyola Marymount University
- Andrei Cimpian, Ph.D., professor of psychology at New York University, who participated virtually
- Munro Richardson, Ph.D., creator of Unconstrainedkids.com and executive director of Read Charlotte
- Ryan Rydzewski, co-author of “When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids”
This story was adapted from one that originally appeared at sesameworkshop.org.