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Show HILLTOP TIMES 12 TIMES May 8, 2008 Sesame Street video deals with multiple deployments, medical injuries BY JOHN J. KRUZEL American Forces Press Service A RLINGTON, Va. — Following a workshop that helped children cope with a military parent's deployment, the familiar, furry denizens of Sesame Street are starring in a new program focusing on multiple deployments and on family adjustments upon a parent's return. Sesame Workshop, the makers of Sesame Street, have released "Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployment, Homecoming, Changes," a video workshop that aims to aid children in understanding and unbundling the tangle of complex emotions many feel in the midst of a mother's or father's tours of duty away from home, and even broaches the difficult subject of dealing with a parent's debilitating war injury. "This follow-on DVD to talk about the changes, dealing with new medical injuries — living in the 'new normal' — is tremendously important," Army Col. Loree K. Sutton, chief of the newly created Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, said during the workshop launch at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington, Va. More than 80 percent of those surveyed said the first installment of Sesame Workshop's military outreach effort, which covered all phases of deployment, was incredibly effective, said Gary E. Knell, president and chief executive officer of Sesame Workshop. "And they really wanted us to also go to the next step to deal with two issues," he added, referring to multiple deployments and changes, especially mental or physical injuries parents suffer while deployed. To help keep the program authentic to children's experience, an advisory committee composed of members of REVIEW From page 11 report about heavy floods in Latin America, with residents in grave danger of being swept away. For a moment, you think he's going to blink himself there to rescue them, but he does nothing. That doesn't exactly make him "Initially she's angry. Her emotions "In the original version, they had (Elmo) all excited andemerge. And what Sesame Street is able to do is turn the conversation to enthusiastic and happy. It's sort of what you expect if is the same,, what the parent can you really don't know how hard it is when somebody's what do," Arsht said. "If he can't kick the been gone for a while and you're so anticipating their ball, which he couldn't, he can catch the ball. returning. And yet there's this (worry), 'Is he going to be ''It's elementary," she continued. "But it carries a much bigger message the same?' You know, all those mixed emotions." than the words themselves convey." LESLYE A. ARSHT, deputy undersecretary of defense for Elmo and Rosita are the best venues military commmunity and family policy, on changes made for relaying such tender messages because they are trusted by young audifrom the original concept to the finished product ence members, said Barbara Thomp- son, the director of DoD's military military families and advocacy groups, You know, all those mixed emotions." community and family policy office and an advisory board member. The creators heeded the feedback child psychologists, educators and other "The children will listen and resoand re-wrote the scene to be more experts offered perspective to Sesame nate with their message," she said. three-dimensional and true-to-life, Street creators throughout production. "Sesame Workshop captured the right through what she described as "powThe show's creators also vetted the message and how to say it in a very erful adjustments" in the script. The program through "real world" military sensitive way. It's a well-done resource effects of such realism are evident, she families and adapted it according to for our families." said: "You cannot watch these DVDs their feedback, said Jeanette BetanSesame Workshop, a nonprofit educacouit, vice president for content design without crying." Arsht said the anxiety arises, in part, tion effort, has been doing these special at Sesame Workshop's education and because children feel ambivalent about projects since its inception in 1968. The outreach division. group has done outreach projects on the growth and progress they make in In the original script, for instance, such subjects as early literacy, asthma, the midst of their parent's absence. writers used broad strokes to paint lead poisoning, going to the doctor and "The child has been growing; they an effusive reunion between Elmo, a school readiness. can do things they couldn't do before. red, furry and perpetually 3-year old Performed in English and Spanish, character, and his fresh-from-the-front- They don't know whether to be proud lines father. After seeing a rough cut of about that, or to think that the dad's go- the workshop will not air on television but will be distributed free to schools, ing to feel bad that he didn't get to see the scene, the advisers recommended child care programs and family support that happening," Arsht said, describing tweaking the script to reflect a greater a common reaction of 3- to 5-year olds, centers, thanks to a gift from Wal-Mart emotional range. stores and other sponsors. The DVD kit the show's target demographic. Leslye A. Arsht, deputy undersecreAccording to statistics, approximate- or downloadable video is available on tary of defense for military community the Military OneSource Web site. ly 700,000 children of military memand family policy, said the first treatment failed to capture the emotional bers are younger than age 5. Through The previous Sesame Street workcomplexity of the reunion. Sesame Street's lovable characters, the shop, a broader installment entitled program manages to teach young chil"Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Fami"In the original version, they had (Elmo) all excited and enthusiastic and dren about painful subjects in a medium lies Cope with Military Deployment," that speaks to them. covered all phases of deployment, from happy. It's sort of what you expect if predeployment to homecoming. A sepayou really don't know how hard it is In one scene, Rosita, a cheerful, biwhen somebody's been gone for a while lingual blue monster fr6m Mexico, sees rate Sesame Street program, "When Parents Are Deployed," was nominated and you're so anticipating their returnher servicemember father return home for an Emmy Award for Outstanding ing," Arsht said. "And yet there's this in a wheelchair after an injury he sufChildren's Program. (worry), 'Is he going to be the same?' fered during deployment. endearing, but here we learn a limitation to the power. Jumpers apparently have to have knowledge of the place they're jumping to or follow through another teleporter's "jump scar" — like a trace wormhole they leave in their wake. Which introduces us to Griffin (Jamie Bell), another teleporter who says he's been watching David for the past 10 years, but never has made contact. And we learn of a group called "Paladins" that have sought out and attempted to destroy jumpers for centuries. But why kill them? Why not exploit their gifts like every other maniacal group? It seems Samuel L. Jackson is the head headhunter and he's determined to kill these boys with a special knife kept wrapped in a weird ceremonial cloth. But first they have to be trapped in an electronic field so they can't jump to escape. It's all quite confusing, but somehow we're drawn into the pure fantasy of it all. Of course, David has a fatal flaw because he's in love with the mere mortal Millie (Rachel Bilson), whom the Paladins can use to lure David into a trap. More confusion fol- lows, I'm guessing to exploit sequel possibilities, but frustration mounts in tjiis brief, 84-minute movie that could serve to its detriment. Still, I was mesmerized by the potential and only slightly put off by the slim realizations as director Doug Liman takes us around the world with seamless precision — likely the crowning achievement of this wildly engaging, but sometimes annoying, film. Insurance for Long Term Care center stage O n May 15, a Federal Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance Program expert will be providing hour-long educational seminars in Building 1221, Room 26, PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, P.C. at 6:30 a.m ., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and Dale Hibbert, Pediatrics 3:30 p.m. for federal Public Comment Opportunity civilian employees. CivilJennifer Brown, Family ian spouses, parents and April 19-May20, 2008 Leland Pack, Orthodontist parents-in-law are also Accepts Military Insurance The Air Force has extended the public comment period through May 20,2008 for an Environmentaleligible for LTC and are Latest technology in painless dentistry Assessment (EA) for the proposed "West Side Development, Enhanced Use Lease" that will be encouraged to attend. Free exam for children under 2 yrs located on Hill Air Force Base (AFB), Utah. This workshop will exArcade games & more plore the realities of long Based on the results of this EA, the proposed development would not have significant adverse term care and family careeffects on the human environment or any of the environmental resources described in the EA. The giving as well as review Air Force, therefore, proposes a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the proposed possible LTC funding opproject and has determined an Environmental Impact Statement is unnecessary. 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