New York, N.Y., October 20, 2010 – Continuing its unique position in reaching out to targeted communities, Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, has promoted Dr. Jeanette Betancourt to Senior Vice President for Outreach and Educational Practices at Sesame Workshop. Dr. Betancourt will continue reporting to Dr. Lewis Bernstein, Executive Vice President of Education, Research and Outreach.
Dr. Jeanette Betancourt has been at Sesame Workshop since 1993 and is responsible for the strategic positioning and delivery of domestic outreach initiatives to assure their greatest reach and impact. She conceptualizes, develops, and delivers compelling new Outreach models to targeted audiences and communities most in need. She also maintains and expands a comprehensive network of national organizations that are strategic partners within the educational community to assure the greatest reach and integration of outreach initiatives and resources. In addition, she manages the versioning of these initiatives into multiple languages as well as the formative and summative research that accompanies each project. Dr. Betancourt works collaboratively with several Sesame Workshop departments to assure that content, language, and educational strategies are appropriate for diverse ethnic and cultural groups.
“Jeanette’s unique strengths in developing content and building meaningful and successful partnerships on behalf of underserved children and families is without peer, said Dr. Lewis Bernstein, Executive Vice President, Education, Research & Outreach, Sesame Workshop. “Her extensive experience and passion for identifying and addressing the needs of children and communities through a variety of media platforms and person-to-person interactions is an inspiration to the Workshop and a model for all on how best to engage and impact children here in the United States and throughout the world.”
Dr. Betancourt has developed Outreach initiatives in the areas of literacy, school readiness, math, music, health and safety, resiliency, military transitions, and child care as well as programs in Colombia and Jamaica. She also was the series content advisor for the Emmy award winning parenting programs, A Place of Our Own and Los niños en su casa in association with KCET.
Dr. Betancourt is a licensed bilingual speech and language pathologist and educational therapist, with a specialty in treating families and children with psychiatric disorders. She has consulted at several university hospitals, schools systems, and private organizations on program development, dual language programming, special education best practices, and the integration of innovative media practices. She has also served on several boards and committees that service children and families, including Leake and Watts Services, Inc., New York City Association for Children and Families, 2010 Alliance, United Way of New York, The Sub-Committee on Hispanic Education, Pfizer Health Journal Roundtable, Child Care Reads Campaign, Manhattan Community College Teacher Training Committee, Corporation for Public Broadcasting Hispanic Outreach Committee, National Council of La Raza Early Childhood Initiative, PSVRatings Board, and Anti-Defamation League Miller Early Childhood Initiative. She is the Vice Chair Board Trustee for Our World Neighborhood Charter School and served as Chairperson for the School Leadership Team at P.S. 84.