On May, 22, 2025, at Jim Henson's alma mater, the University of Maryland, a familiar green frog urged the 2025 graduates to embrace kindness, curiosity, and community. He closed his speech by inviting the crowd to join him in singing “The Rainbow Connection,” turning the ceremony into a rare moment of shared hope.
This year also marks the Muppets’ 70th anniversary, a legacy rooted in creativity, empathy, and the power of public media to educate and unite. Yet, as Kermit celebrated this milestone, public broadcasting faces threats from politicians pushing to cut funding for PBS and Sesame Workshop, the very institutions that brought us Big Bird, Elmo and Kermit himself.
