Joan Ganz Cooney (b.1929) is an American television producer and writer best known for co-founding Sesame Workshop, the organization behind Sesame Street. Her pioneering work in educational television set new standards for media-driven learning.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Cooney earned a Bachelor of Arts in education from the University of Arizona (1951.) She started as a journalist and publicist before transitioning to television production. In the early 1960s, she became a documentary producer for WNET, New York’s first educational TV station, winning local Emmy Awards. Her study on children’s programming laid the foundation for Sesame Street.
In 1968, Cooney co-founded the Children’s Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) and served as its first executive director. Sesame Street premiered in 1969, revolutionizing children’s television with its research-based approach. She later oversaw The Electric Company (1971,) another influential educational program.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Joan Ganz Cooney
I wish I could tell you that the Children’s Television Workshop and Sesame Street were thanks to my genius, but it really was a lucky break.
—Joan Ganz Cooney
Topics: Luck, Fortune
Probably any successful career has X number of breaks in it, and maybe the difference between successful people and those who aren’t superachievers is taking advantage of those breaks.
—Joan Ganz Cooney
Topics: Career, Fortune, Luck
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