I am one of seven fellows selected from approximately 500 applicants for the 2018 Sesame Street Writers Room Program. This fellowship is designed to develop new screenwriting talent, amplify underrepresented voices, and foster diversity in children’s media. Fellows gather weekly for hands-on workshopping and conversations with writers, producers, agents, and executives in eight three-hour sessions. When the program concludes, each fellow will have completed at least one script, and up to two winners will receive development deals from Sesame Workshop. The winning scripts will be performed in a staged reading at an industry networking event.
“By helping emerging writers from diverse backgrounds build industry experience and connections, programs like this one have the potential to change the children’s media landscape,” said Kay Wilson Stallings, SVP of Creative Development, Sesame Workshop.
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit media and educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re present in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically-funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit sesameworkshop.org.