>> Thank you.
Amna: The experience of war is
an enduring trauma for anyone,
but it is especially hard on
children.
Death, displacement, doubts, and
fear acutely damage children's
psyches and their ability to
cope.
But trusted friends are now
aiding Ukraine's children.
Geoff: The sesame workshop,
which has produced the iconic
children's program for decades,
is being used in Ukraine to help
children experiencing what none
should ever have to withstand.
Special correspondent Jane
Ferguson reports for our arts
and culture series, canvas.
>> Educating children at times
of war demands much from
teachers.
These Ukrainian children --
these are made especially to
help children cope with strong
emotions, communicate with each
other and escape the pressures
of war.
All in the Ukrainian language.
>> Children are surrounded by
constant information of the war
and it affects them.
They become more anxious.
My clinic works with children
with special needs and it
affects them especially.
They become more emotionally
unstable.
Reporter: This woman runs a
small school near Kyiv.
She and her staff are fighting
to help little minds grow,
despite the stresses they must
endure.
>> The videos sesame street
provides are interactive and so
children are interested in pay
attention.
The cartoons evoke emotions and
distracts them from the horrors
of war.
Because children have become
more anxious and vulnerable
during the war, attention span
is limited.
We have to change the activities
for children to keep them
interested and occupied.
This is why having games for
them is helpful.
Reporter: War mpox children
differently than adults.
-- War impacts children
differently than adults.
>> The prolonged stress or
exposure to trauma can delay
development and mental
well-being.
Reporter: This is the director
of sesame workshop and oversees
the creation of content most
helpful to children of war.
So far, half a one million
Ukrainian children have watched
this content since the project
launched.
>> I am a producer but the
education team AIDS our experts
and linguistic advisers who
guide us to understand what it
is that kids really need.
How do we address the needs of
children as they experience war
and as they are being picked up
in the middle of the night and
off to another country or city
and at the same time
understanding they are still
learning, they are still
children, they need cheerful
moments in their lives and how
do we create content for the
parents to talk to children.
Reporter: Some of the answers
come from experience.
Sesame street first launched for
Syrian children in 2018.
That content focused not just on
learning traditional school
subjects but also how to cope
with overwhelming emotions and
communicate them to others.
Over 5 million judge dearie in
children -- over 5 million
Syrian children access them.
In Ukraine sesame workshop has
developed online content for
families, profiling children
living through the war, like
this child who chose to talk
about his passion for dance.
Like so many Ukrainian children,
just getting an education is a
challenge.
Schools have been repeatedly
closed because of the danger.
>> When they had attacks I had
to learn online at home.
After that we tried to go back
to school for two weeks and then
home for two weeks but later
there were black outs and no
electricity so we had some
difficulty with the internet and
learning.
But I was still able to keep up
somehow and ended the school
year with good grades.
There was an error laid alert
during our graduation ceremony
and we all -- there was an air
raid alert during our graduation
ceremony and we all had to run
into the shelter.
Reporter: The videos are on
YouTube and the sesame street
website.
>> Almost all subjects you can
find videos about them on
YouTube, watch them, and learn
something.
Reporter: Learning online has
become an opportunity for
Ukrainian children not to let
the world hold back their
education.
Having access to the internet
helps parents keep their minds
engaged.
>> My favorite lesson is
English.
I actually learned most of
English not from lessons, but
from YouTube videos.
Sometimes I watch videos about
computers because this is my
hobby.
I have tons of memory cards so I
can consist -- I can experiment
with different windows versions.
When I grow up I want to become
an I.T. Specialist.
Reporter: It sounds like you are
on your way.
>> Yeah.
I already could code for little
programs for windows.
Reporter: That is really
impressive.
That is amazing?
Does YouTube help you learn
coding?
>> Definitely.
Reporter: Many feel the same.
>> Everything we do is based on
research and in the early months
we looked at the landscape.
Where do Ukrainians get most
content?
What are they comfortable
showing their children?
We found that predominantly,
Ukrainians, we use YouTube
content.
Reporter: This video captures
the life of a little boy.
His mother moved with him to the
carpathian mountains, far from
the front line of fighting.
The video explores life in their
unique rural setting.
>> The main goal of the videos
is to show that Ukraine is very
big and diverse and rich in
traditions on the influence of
these different cultures cannot
be underestimated.
The carpathian mountain region
has three distinct cultural
identities.
Reporter: Even though they are
far from the front lines, their
children are separated from
their fathers, who are helping
with the war effort, and risk
being bombarded by fighting.
>> They are prepared to take
care of themselves because only
when they have strength and read
-- resources can they take care
of children.
I do not think children should
know certain things about the
war like how many people have
been killed and injured.
They should just know the
general information, that our
country has been invaded, our
soldiers are defending our
country, often at the cost of
their lives.
Reporter: Sesame workshops are
now developing more content for
parents where experts help them
know what to do when children
are afraid and how to cope
themselves with the pressures of
parenting during conflict.
The videos are also being
broadcast in partnership with
Ukraine's largest TV children
channel.
Plans to move to satellite
candles are underway.
It is a rare blessing for
children of war to still have
axis -- to still have access to
the internet and TV and the
effort to mitigate some of war's
office -- some of the war
hardships.