2022 Writers' Room Program
The Sesame Workshop Writers’ Room is a summer-long writing intensive program for writers with diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural identities who are interested in children’s media. The 2022 Writing Fellows each develop and workshop their own original children’s television concept and script, with guidance from a wide range of industry leaders. Select fellows will have their work featured in a staged reading and will be awarded development deals from Sesame Workshop.
I absolutely loved this experience and I’m so inspired to keep pursuing children's media. If I have a career as a writer, I will have this program to thank for giving me the tools and confidence to tell these kinds of stories.
2022 Fellows
Danielle Eliska Lyle|Detroit, MI
Danielle Eliska is a writer, filmmaker, photographer and educator from Detroit. She received her MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU and was one of the inaugural grant recipients of the 2018 Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and New York Foundation for the Arts (MOME NYFA) ‘Made in NY’ Women’s Fund in Film.
Stephanie Kyung Sun Walters|Philadelphia, PA
Stephanie is a playwright, actor, and educator from Philadelphia where she serves as Lead Artist for Philadelphia Asian Performing Artists’ Playwrights Project, uplifting the voices of emerging AAPI playwrights. She has taught students in preschool through the collegiate level and is excited to bring those experiences to this unique storytelling medium. Stephanie is the recipient of the 2022 Terrence McNally Award from Philadelphia Theatre Company.
Veronica Reyes-How|New York, NY
Veronica is a writer/director/actor who, by pen, partnership, or performance, desires to elevate characters and stories that invite, encourage, and reassure the viewer they are seen, known, and loved. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Mathematics degree. Since changing careers to the arts, her pilots have been Finalists in the 2021 Screencraft Fellowship, The 2022 Orchard Project Episodic Lab, the 2021 Screencraft True Story Competition and 2021 The Stowe Story Lab.
Minna Lee|Brooklyn, NY
Minna (they/she) lives and works on Lenape land as a writer, animator, and performer. In their work, they explore themes of adolescence, queer joy, immigration, and anti-capitalism. Their mission is to nurture the growing hearts of young audiences by sharing authentic stories that portray more nuanced QTBIPOC characters.
Janice Chun|Los Angeles, CA
Janice is a storyboard artist and writer in Los Angeles and has worked for various studios such as Cartoon Network, Warner Bros, Netflix and South Park Studios. Her work explores the relatable humor and tragedy of everyday life and has been featured and awarded at several film festivals and the Vimeo Staff Pick selection.
Eric Tate|Pomona, CA
Eric is a teacher, traveler, and writer currently working in television production. A Southern California-native, he taught K-8 students in Berkeley, Seattle, and South Korea before returning home to get his MFA in screenwriting at LMU. He was recently a fellow of the PBS Kids Writing Program.
2020 Speakers
LaToye AdamsWonderWhy Consulting LLC, President
LaToye is a researcher and consultant. Through WonderWhy Consulting, she drives a youth-centered design process by integrating formative research throughout the production life cycle for television content and educational technology. Throughout her career, LaToye has worked with leading producers and developers including Sesame Workshop, Nickelodeon, YouTube Originals, and Google. At Michael Cohen Group, LaToye served as Director of Research for Nickelodeon's Bubble Guppies and ushered new production teams at YouTube Originals Kids & Learning through the content research process. In addition, LaToye had the great joy of serving as the 2016-2018 National President of the Children’s Media Association.
Janice BurgessThe Backyardigans, Creator/Executive Producer
Janice created and served as executive producer of the Emmy Award winning preschool series The Backyardigans for Nickelodeon. As an executive-in-charge of production and then Vice President at Nick Jr., she oversaw the production of Peabody and Emmy Award-winning Nick Jr. shows including Blue’s Clues, Little Bill and Whoopi’s Littleburg. In 2015 - 2016, Janice served as Executive Consultant for DreamWorks Animation Television. Her latest project is Enchanting Leela, in development with Canadian animation studio Nelvana Ltd.
Kim DiazSesame Workshop, Director of Production & Development
Kim has spent the past 13+ years in preschool television as a producer, development exec, writer, and (occasional) performer. In her current role, Kim oversees Sesame’s Creative Development pipeline, which includes original series, Sesame Street spinoffs, and animated specials for partners such as HBO Max and Apple TV+. She also runs shorts production and development for the Sesame Studios YouTube channel. Her award-winning work for Nick Jr, Sprout, and Sesame Workshop has also been nominated for 5 Daytime Emmys and has been featured in children’s film festivals across the globe.
Kerri GrantWriter/Story Editor/Executive Producer
Kerri started her children's media writing career as a script coordinator on the groundbreaking show The Backyardigans, which led to a Nickelodeon writing fellowship in Los Angeles. Post writing fellowship Kerri has become the writing professional she’s always wanted to be. She was a staff writer on Doc McStuffins, for which she won the prestigious Peabody Award, Humanitas Prize, NAACP Image Award, Sentinel Award, and NAMIC Award, and a six-time Emmy Award nominee. Kerri has also been a staff writer on Disney’s Elena of Avalor and Mira, Royal Detective and served as co-story editor on Nickelodeon’s Nella the Princess Knight. She’s written for a plethora of other animated shows as a freelance writer and now she is the Story Editor/Co-Executive Producer on an unannounced Netflix animated show.
Ron HolseyHead Writer/Executive Producer
Ron has over a decade of experience in children’s television, having written more than 100 episodes for series on Nickelodeon, PBS Kids, Universal Kids, Cartoon Network, Disney, Amazon, the BBC and HBO. He was co-story editor for the hit Nick Jr. series Nella the Princess Knight, head writer for PBS Kids interactive series Scribbles and Ink and is currently in production on a new series he developed for a major streaming service. Ron won a Daytime Emmy for writing on Sesame Street and has been nominated for three additional Daytime Emmys for writing on Sesame Street, Odd Squad and Martha Speaks.
Susan KimSesame Workshop Writers' Room Instructor
Susan is a TV writer, YA and graphic novel author, documentary producer, and playwright. She has been a writer, story editor, and/or head writer for more than four dozen children’s series in the US and abroad, including Hello Ninja!, Welcome to the Wayne, Astroblast, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Wonder Pets!, Reading Rainbow, Arthur, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Cyberchase, Octonauts, Speed Racer, Allegra's Window, Gullah Gullah Island, and Handy Manny. She has been nominated for the Emmy six times and the Writers Guild award four times.
Karen KirklandCulture Creative Entertainment, Literary Agent and Founding Partner
Over the past 27 years, Karen has been involved in various aspects of the film and television industry; stemming from an independent producing background, she has been nominated for multiple MTV Music Video Awards, won an NAACP Image Award for Video of the Year, and served as the producer of the LA Film Festival. Formerly, as the VP of the Nickelodeon Writing Program, Karen spent 13+ years identifying, developing and staffing writing talent. Karen is an international speaker and has been a judge for numerous screenwriting award competitions including the BANFF World Media Festival, the UCLA Screenwriter’s Showcase and the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition. In 2017, Karen founded The Breakk; a 3-day creative retreat that brings female television writers together with top entertainment execs and working industry professionals.
Tim McKeonHelpsters, Creator/Executive Producer
Tim is a five-time Emmy winning writer and producer. He is creator, executive producer and head writer for the Sesame Workshop live-action show Helpsters, which premiered in 2019 on Apple TV+. Prior to that, Tim co-created and was head writer and executive producer for PBS Kids’ Odd Squad. He has also worked extensively in animation, having written on such shows as Disney’s Gravity Falls and Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time. He likes national parks and pie.
Chris NeeDoc McStuffins, Creator/Executive Producer
Peabody, Humanitas and Emmy Award-winner Chris Nee is the creator and executive producer of Peabody Award-winning series Doc McStuffins. She also developed for television and executive produced the hit animated series Vampirina. Chris has received multiple Emmy Award nominations for writing and won an Emmy in 2002 for her work on Little Bill. Chris began her career as an associate producer at Sesame Street International. She has signed a multiyear overall deal with Netflix to write and produce across live action, animation, kids, teens and adults. Chris’ production company, Laughing Wild, is focused on producing up and coming talent with diverse points of view.
Ken ScarboroughSesame Street, Head Writer
Ken’s head writing credits include Curious George, Martha Speaks, Pocoyo, Arthur, and Doug. He served as a staff writer on NBC’s Saturday Night Live. He became the Head Writer of Sesame Street in 2015 and has also served in that capacity for five Sesame Street specials, as well as for The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, which debuts in May 2020. He serves as Executive Producer and Head Writer of the Amazon series If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. He has received multiple Primetime and Daytime Emmy Awards for his work.
Ligiah VillalobosGo, Diego! Go!, Head Writer
Ligiah is a writer, producer, consultant, educator and lecturer. She was the head writer on the Nickelodeon animated children’s show, Go, Diego! Go!, which became the first preschool show to beat Dora the Explorer off the #1 spot. She was a cultural consultant on the Academy Award-winning Pixar movie, Coco. She is best known for the indie hit film Under the Same Moon, (La Misma Luna), which she wrote and executive produced. More recently, she wrote on two Netflix animated children's series, Super Monsters Monster Pets and StarBeam. She is currently writing a one-hour drama for HBO Max and an animated children's series for Sesame Workshop. Koati, a feature animated film which she co-wrote and is an associate producer on, is currently in production.