New Thomas & Friends™ TV season to explore SDG-related themes, from Gender Equality to Responsible Consumption, inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals
On 7 September, the United Nations and Mattel, Inc. launched a collaboration to introduce the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to preschool audiences through the animated children’s series Thomas & Friends™.
Elements from five of the 17 SDGs are incorporated into nine of the 26 episodes of the new season of Thomas & Friends, which premieres on Nick Jr. in the United States today, with global roll-out in the coming months. Specifically, the Goals represented in the episodic content are: #4 Quality Education; #5 Gender Equality; #11 Sustainable Cities and Communities; #12 Responsible Consumption and Production, and #15 Life on Land. In addition to the five SDGs already present in the episodes, content featuring SDG #6 Clean Water and Sanitation is also available on the new website AllAboardForGlobalGoals.com.
Thomas & Friends UN collaboration
The website contains early childhood educational videos, parent tips and interactive activities. The short-form content and parent-targeted materials are intended to help preschoolers around the world learn more about sustainability and start meaningful conversations between parents and children at the household level.
“The SDGs proved to be the perfect tool for Thomas & Friends to teach children the importance of taking part in the global efforts to end poverty, providing girls and boys with the same opportunities, and of course doing so while protecting our planet,” said Maher Nasser, Director of the Outreach Division at the United Nations Department of Public Information who has led the collaboration with Mattel on this project.
“Thomas’ unique focus on empathy, collaboration and friendship is more relevant than ever and such an effective way to introduce children to the most important global values of their lifetimes – as embodied by the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Richard Dickson, President and COO of Mattel. “I cannot imagine a more appropriate partnership than Thomas and the United Nations – the most dedicated and purpose-driven people, organizations and brands never go it alone, but recognize the value of collaboration in creating a better world. That’s why the UN exists, and that’s been the core lesson of Thomas for over 70 years.”
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The 17 Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by world leaders at the historic Sustainable Development Summit held at the United Nations in September 2015. Encompassing everything from health to gender equality and education, the Goals will mobilize efforts around the world to end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change, while ensuring that no one is left behind. For more information on the Sustainable Development Goals, click here.
Thomas the Tank Engine™ was created over 70 years ago. Today, the preschool train franchise is enjoyed by families in more than 160 countries and territories and 55 languages across multiple touchpoints and formats, including: 500+ original TV shows; 12 feature-length films; apps; toys; consumer products; publishing; live attractions and more.