Thomas & Friends to Hold Summit at U.N.

Mattel and the United Nations are teaming up for a new event featuring “Thomas & Friends.”

In an effort to inspire preschoolers to become global citizens, the two companies will co-host a roundtable discussion with topics, including the importance of teaching children about global issues. Filmmaker and actor Olivia Wilde will take part in the event.

The discussion will walk the audience through how the U.N. and the producers of “Thomas & Friends” worked together to integrate elements of the Sustainable Development Goals–such as education, gender equality and protecting the environment–into episodic storylines, and the talk will address why it’s important to start educating children at the earliest ages about these issues.

The “Thomas & Friends” Event at the United Nations will take place at the Ex-Press Bar on Sept. 7.

The new season of "Thomas & Friends," dubbed “Big World! Big Adventures!” will begin airing on Nickelodeon in the U.S. in Sept., with launches planned in other markets across the globe throughout the fall.