NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, November 22, 2013

MetLife, Inc. announced today that MetLife Foundation has committed $20 million over the next five years to Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, to advance financial capability among low and moderate-income families with young children throughout the world. The funding, which is part of MetLife Foundation’s $200 million, five-year commitment to financial inclusion, will create educational content and multimedia programs that will reach close to 75 million people worldwide.

“Both MetLife and Sesame Workshop have long histories of supporting the communities in which we work. Through our new partnership, we will improve the well-being of millions of families throughout the world,” said Frans Hijkoop, chief human resources officer, MetLife, Inc. and MetLife Foundation board member. “Together, we will make significant progress in ensuring families have access to the knowledge they need to put them on the path to financial security.”

“Since 2009, Sesame Workshop and MetLife Foundation have effectively partnered to bring critical messages and content to children and caregivers, using the power of multiple media platforms and the Sesame Street Muppets,” said H. Melvin Ming, president and CEO, Sesame Workshop. “With this new commitment, we are expanding our partnership to address the essential issue of financial inclusion by including practical everyday lessons of basic numeracy, self-regulation and other key social skills to provide valuable educational experiences and resources. Targeting caregivers, we will mount an impactful global initiative to build financial empowerment around the world, improving their prospects for a brighter, more secure future.”