the office of economic opportunity's community action program launched project head start as an eight-week summer program in 1965. the program was led by dr. robert cooke, a pediatrician at johns hopkins university, and dr. edward zigler, a professor of psychology and director of the yale child study center. they designed a comprehensive child development program intended to help communities meet the needs of disadvantaged preschool children. the following year it was authorized by congress as a year–round program. in 1968, head start began funding a television series that would eventually be called "sesame street", operated by the carnegie corporation children's television workshop (ctw).