As co-founder of the educational preschool series, Sesame Street, Joan Ganz Cooney is being honored for her work in helping bridge the gap of early education within underserved communities and young children. Building upon her career in media, Ms. Ganz Cooney provided a rationale for using television to teach basic skills that were both educational and entertaining that culminated in the 1967 debut of Sesame Street. Since then, it has been watched by millions of children, in more than 150 countries, and has had revolutionary impact on children’s educational television.
