As the executive director of Sesame Sprout , my vision has always been to create programs which benefit and impacts the lives of children and families. In 1998 Sesame was one of the first programs to provide Universal Pre-kindergarten when the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) began contracting with community-based organization . Sesame was also one of the first bi-lingual programs to receive approvals from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) to provide bilingual special education programs and therapeutic services; speech, occupational therapy, counselling and physical therapy to preschool students with a disabililty.
Sesame also provides parent groups and training in Spanish and English. Emphasis is placed on helping the families understand their child’s individual needs and establishing realistic expectations as well as a range of enriching programs designed to support the success of students in the context of the New York state Learning Standards.
Throughout the years, Sesame has received many awards for our hard work, professionalism and dedication to our students. Most notably, SESAME WAS DESIGNATED A MODEL PROGRAM by Universal Pre-kindergarten . On January 26, 2009 Sesame Sprout was presented with an award for an “OUTSTANDING EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM” by the New York State Interagency Early childhood Professional Development Institute . Sesame continues to push forward and expand its program.