MONTEGO BAY — Following her historic television debut as Sesame Street’s first autistic muppet, Julia is now heading to Beaches Resorts’ properties in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos for a bit of fun and sun.

Beginning this fall, the beloved character will be on site to launch a new activity, ‘Amazing Art with Julia’ during which she’ll greet children and highlight how people can express themselves through art. Using a range of materials, children will get the chance to create in this open-ended art activity and talk about how their artwork is a celebration of who they are.

“We created Beaches Resorts as a concept for everyone and it’s our privilege, particularly during Autism Awareness Month, to announce the addition of Julia this fall as part of our exclusive relationship with Sesame Workshop,” said Adam Stewart, CEO of Beaches Resorts. “As a resort company that also celebrates that children have a remarkable ability to ‘see amazing’ in all people, we are excited to introduce more inclusive programming for families with children on the spectrum of which Julia will play a part in.”

Credit: Beaches Resorts

Julia’s debut continues Beaches Resorts’ partnership with Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street, and expands the resort company’s exclusive ‘Beaches Resorts Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street’ program, now in its 13th year.

Sesame Workshop debuted ‘Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children in 2015’ to help increase awareness and understanding of autism. As part of Beaches Resorts’ commitment to create memorable experiences for all families, staff underwent initial training with ‘Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children’ resources. Continuing these efforts, Beaches Resorts has partnered with The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES), a global leader in training and certification programs, created to meet the training needs of professionals who work with individuals with special needs and cognitive disorders.

Through this partnership, which is ongoing and provides intensive training for team members, each of the resorts’ Kids Camps and its early childcare staff have earned the distinction of Certified Austim Centers.

“We launched our autism initiative, ‘See Amazing in All Children’ to promote awareness and acceptance and to combat the stigma and isolation so often experienced by children with autism and their families,” said Steve Youngwood, COO, Sesame Workshop. “Initially a digital character, Julia has come to life on Sesame Street, and now as a walkaround character who is sure to bring joy to children. We’re thrilled to work with our long-time partner, Beaches Resorts, to extend our work around diversity, acceptance, and kindness.”