The American children's television programme Sesame Streetis set to have an adaptation for Northern Ireland in an attempt to promote tolerance, acceptance and understanding among children there.
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The American Ireland Fund (AIF), in partnership with Sesame Workshop, the organisation behind the series, will create a localised version which could be aired as early as next year.
The series will be broadcast over an 18-month period with 26 episodes in the series. Elements of the show will be created in Northern Ireland, and there will also be an educational outreach initiative for use in schools.
Sesame Workshop hopes the series will encourage children to develop the skills to challenge ignorance, dispel stereotypes and champion diversity.
"We are proud to be a prime supporter of this historic initiative aimed at bringing values of tolerance and understanding to the children of Northern Ireland," said Kieran McLoughlin, Vice President of the AIF.
"All children deserve a chance to learn and grow, to understand the world and each other," he added.
The Northern Ireland project follows other Sesame Street initiatives designed to bring educational values to children in over 25 countries around the world, including Israel, Palestine, Kosovo and South Africa.
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