The MIFC involves children watching a series of cartoons featuring four animated characters - Tom, Kim, Jenny and Jim - who will now appear in the new 'Sesame Street' series alongside stars such as Big Bird and Cookie Monster.
NIPPA chief executive Siobhan Fitzpatrick said the programmes would be screened on TV early next year and distributed to pre-schools through NIPPA's Respecting Difference resource box. She said, 'The series will cover themes of racism, religion, physical difference, gender difference and bullying. Research in Northern Ireland has shown that children as young as three can develop negative attitudes towards people from different religious backgrounds so it is important that we help pre-school teachers deal with these issues. '
We hope to create a new generation of young children who can celebrate difference.'
