Berkeley, California Apr 17, 2026 (Issuewire.com) GREATER GOOD SCIENCE CENTER AND THE JIM HENSON COMPANY UNITE TO EXPLORE THE SCIENCE OF AWE IN PBS KIDS WOWSABOUT
Free Virtual Event Features Screening of New Preschool PBS KIDS Special “Wowsabout” and Live Q&A with Creators and Scientists
The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley and The Jim Henson Company will host a free virtual screening and live conversation on May 13, 2026, from 9:00-10:30 AM PT / 12:00-1:30 PM ET, bringing together the creators of the new PBS KIDS preschool special Wowsabout and leading emotion scientists to explore the power of awe in children’s lives.
The virtual event, titled Jim Hensons Wowsabout: Bringing Awe to Life, pairs a screening of WowsaboutThe Jim Henson Companys brand-new, half-hour live-action preschool special filmed on location at Sequoia National Parkwith a live panel discussion on storytelling, child development, and the science of wonder. The panel will feature Wowsabout co-creators Halle Stanford and Dorien Davies; Dacher Keltner, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley, Faculty Director of the Greater Good Science Center, and author of Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life; Vicki Zakrzewski, Ph.D., GGSC’s founding Education Director; and Maryam Abdullah, Ph.D., GGSC’s Parenting Program Director. The event will be moderated by Sarah Bracken, GGSC’s Education Outreach and School Partnerships Manager. Registration is free and open to parents, educators, and caregivers worldwide.
Wowsabout follows Roxy, a free-spirited singing hedgehog, and Ronald, an overprepared, tree-loving pig. Shes chasing magical giants, hes after a Junior Ranger badge. Through natures AWE, plus music and art, they discover unexpected friendship in a hilarious, heartwarming musical adventure! Created and written by Halle Stanford, Emmy® Award-winning executive producer (Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock), and Dorien Davies, executive producer, writer, and principal puppeteer (Word Party, Julie’s Greenroom), the special was developed in close consultation with UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center.
“In Wowsabout, our mission is to spark wonder and awe in kids and inspire them to care for each other and the world,” said Halle Stanford, Co-Creator, Writer, and Executive Producer of the special. “This is a one-of-a-kind special and an open invitation for families to discover awe in the national parks and go on their own Wowsabouts together.
There is so much research about the benefits of exposing children to awe, and Dr. Keltners studies about this emotion make it very clear that awe is a pathway to collaboration and compassion, said Dorien Davies, Co-Creator, Writer, Executive Producer, and Puppeteer of Roxy the hedgehog. Awe can be such a uniting force, and its something we need a lot more of today.
At a time when many children are navigating stress, distraction, and disconnection, cultivating awe may be one of the simplest and most powerful tools available to help them reconnectto themselves, to one another, and to the world around them.
Event Details
Date: May 13, 2026 Time: 9:00-10:30 AM PT / 12:00-1:30 PM ET
Cost: Free
About the Greater Good Science Center
Based at the University of California, Berkeley, one of the worlds leading institutions of research and higher education, the Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) explores the roots of happy and compassionate individuals, strong social bonds, and altruistic behaviorthe science of a meaningful life. Since 2001, we have done trailblazing work to disseminate this science to the public, translating it into terms and resources that are accessible, practical, and uplifting.
About The Jim Henson Company
The Jim Henson Company has remained an established leader in family entertainment for over 70 years and is recognized as an innovator in puppetry, animatronics, and digital animation. The Companys most recent credits include the hit holiday special for Apple TV, The First Snow of Fraggle Rock, as well as the Emmy-nominated Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip for Disney+, the Oscar®-winning Guillermo Del Toros Pinocchio for Netflix, and the Emmy®-winning Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock for Apple TV. Other television credits include Slumberkins and Harriet the Spy for Apple TV; Dinosaur Train, Splash and Bubbles, and Sid the Science Kid all for PBS; Earth to Ned for Disney+; and the Netflix series Word Party and the Emmy-winning The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. Iconic catalogue titles include Fraggle Rock, The Storyteller, Farscape, and the ground-breaking fantasy classics The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth.
Headquartered in Los Angeles with additional locations in New York and London, the Company is also home to Jim Hensons Creature Shop, a pre-eminent puppet and creature-building group and industry leader in puppeteered digital animation, with international film, television, theme park, and advertising clients.
CONTACT
Lauren Lee
Director of Marketing and Partnerships
Greater Good Science Center
Sarah Bracken
Education Marketing and Partnerships Manager
Greater Good Science Center
Nicole Goldman
The Jim Henson Company
(323) 802-1608
Media Contact
Greater Good Science Center
2015 Addison St
Source :Greater Good Science Center
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