Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, has upped Michael H. Levine to the newly created position of chief knowledge officer.

As CKO, Levine will lead initiatives to enhance professional development and staff learning while developing relationships with educational partners, policymakers, think tanks and academic groups. He will also work closely with Sesame’s executive team as the organization’s strategic leader for public policy matters.

Levine is the founding executive director of Sesame Workshop’s Joan Ganz Cooney Center, an independent research lab focused on educating children in a rapidly evolving media landscape. Previously, Levine served as VP of new media and executive director of education at the Asia Society.

Last year, Sesame Workshop and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) were awarded a US$100-million grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Disbursed over the course of five years, the grant will educate young children displaced by conflict and persecution in the Middle East.