First Lady Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak to Headline Gala Dinner Preceding Major Education Conference
Cairo - Alkarma Edutainment and Sesame Workshop announced today the full program of the tenth anniversary celebration of Alam Simsim, the award winning television program for pre-schoolers in Egypt. The celebration will feature high profile guests with honorary remarks from First Lady Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, who has been a staunch supporter of Alam Simsim and its educational efforts since its inception in 1997. The program also includes a major two-day conference with international experts addressing how Alam Simsim can best continue to have a measurable impact on young children.
Alkarma Edutainment, the Cairo-based leading provider of educational entertainment media programs in the Arab world, partnered with Sesame Workshop, a non-profit global organization with a mission to harness the power of media to help children around the world to reach their highest potential, to produce Alam Simsim, which has captivated the minds of young children in Egypt.
"We are so proud to be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Alam Simsim, helping Egyptian children reach their highest potential, through the use of television and outreach programs," said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop. "We want to ensure that Alam Simsim will be around for many, many more years and, in that regard, look forward to joining with our Egyptian colleagues and international partners to build new models to sustain this kind of important educational program in the region."
"It's really a wonderful time for us to be able to celebrate ten years of Alam Simsim that has such a positive influence on early childhood development," said Alkarma Edutainment Chairman Amr Koura. "As we reflect upon the accomplishments of Alam Simsim, we are taking the time to have this conference to explore new avenues for educating children through the media," Koura said.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) expressed satisfaction with Alam Simsim's achievements, "We are extremely pleased that this program which we have supported over the last ten years in conjunction with the Ministers of Education and Information has become a model for USAID-financed projects across the Middle East," said Dr. Kenneth Ellis, USAID Director in Egypt.
The reception will be held on April 22, 2007 at the Four Seasons Cairo Nile Plaza hotel in Garden City.
The two-day conference following the reception, which will be attended by prominent members of national and multi-national businesses, broadcast media, government, non-government, early childhood education, and donor organizations, will chart a course for the program's continued growth and success in Egypt and the broader Arabic-speaking region.
The conference will reveal research findings about the content of Alam Simsim, which teaches important topics for young children such as health, the environment, letters and numbers, while encouraging children to be proud of who they are, appreciate different ways of life and respect each other--all in fun and engaging ways. It will also explore different ways of engaging different members of the private, public, NGO, and broadcast sectors to form Public Private Partnerships which will help sustain the show for years to come.
Alam Simsim has become a cultural force in Egypt that is loved by children, trusted by parents and respected by educators. Given the success of Alam Simsim and its positive influence on Egyptian children, Alkarma Edutainment and Sesame Workshop would like potential supporters of Alam Simsim to consider it as a platform for corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Alam Simsim incorporates an innovative curriculum created by Egyptian educators, child development experts, scriptwriters, and filmmakers to encourage children to develop positive self-esteem and self image, to respect and appreciate others, to celebrate Egyptian culture, and to encourage a life-long love of learning.
Targeted to preschoolers, the Alam Simsim lessons are illustrated through humor, music, and daily life situations. Co-produced by Alkarma Edutainment and Sesame Workshop, Alam Simsim has been produced in Cairo, Egypt since 1997.
Alam Simsim is produced in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, which helps maintain the educational content of the show, and the Ministry of Information, which supports the series by facilitating broadcast on Egyptian television. Funding for the series has been provided by a grant from the United States Agency for International Development through the Ministry of Education and under the Ministry's supervision.
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About Alkarma Edutainment
Alkarma Edutainment is the leading provider of educational entertainment media programs in the Arab World. With headquarters in Cairo and offices in Beirut and Dubai, Alkrama Edutainment offers services in a diverse range of media production categories, such as content formulation, production, broadcasting, marketing, merchandising and community outreach. The company was first created specifically to produce Alam Simsim, Egypt's co-production of the children's educational show, Sesame Street. It then attracted international attention for its professional, innovative work in edutainment, including achievements in community outreach and merchandizing support as well as broadcast production. Its members bring 20 years of experience in media communications to their tasks. The Alkarma Edutainment strong alliances with major broadcasters and multinational corporations in the Arab world have secured its effectiveness and influence.
About Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop is a nonprofit educational organization making a meaningful difference in the lives of children around the world. Founded in 1968, the Workshop changed television forever with the legendary Sesame Street. Today, the Workshop continues to innovate on behalf of children in 120 countries, using its proprietary research methodology to ensure its programs and products are engaging and enriching. Sesame Workshop is behind award-winning programs like Dragon Tales, Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, Pinky Dinky Doo and groundbreaking multimedia productions in South Africa, Egypt and Russia. As a non-profit, Sesame Workshop puts the proceeds it receives from sales of its products back into its educational projects for children around the world. Find the Workshop online at www.sesameworkshop.org.
About USAID
USAID is an independent agency that has provided economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide for more than 40 years.
In Egypt, U.S. economic assistance has directly raised the quality of life for millions of Egyptian citizens. Egypt's fundamental development challenges are addressed through USAID-funded programs that focus on Economic growth including environment and antiquities; Education, including workforce development; Health, including family planning, infectious disease surveillance and response; Infrastructure, including water and wastewater, electric power, and telecommunications, and Democracy and governance including the administration of justice, Egyptian NGOs and Citizen participation and institutions.
U.S. economic assistance to Egypt through the United States Agency for International Development has totaled $28.06 billion since 1975, with another $455 million in spending budgeted for 2007.
Media contact:
Adel Elbendary
Fourth Dimension Public Relations (LLC)
14 Syria st., Mohandseen 12411, Cairo, Egypt
Mobile: (2) 012 212 3462
Tel: (202) 760 9988 -- Fax: (202) 762 3093
Email: adel@fdpr.net
Tarek Amin
Managing Director
alkarma edutainment
6 Ibn Miyasser St. Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt
Tel: +(202) 737-6767 / 6464
Fax: +(202) 735-4167
Email: press@alkarma.com
© Press Release 2007
