Cooney recognized that she was invited to serve on these boards because she was a woman and because companies were trying to be more inclusive. She also did some public speaking on the behalf of the CTW and returning to her roots, worked on documentaries. She credited her involvement with the boards with teaching her how to run an organization and about the business world. In 2007, Sesame Workshop founded The Joan Ganz Cooney Center, an independent, non-profit organization which studies how to improve children's literacy by using and developing digital technologies "grounded in detailed educational curriculum", just as was done during the development of Sesame Street. In 2014, Public Prep launched a full day pre-kindergarten program for low-income four-year-olds living in South Bronx NYC Housing Authority projects, called the Joan Ganz Cooney Early Learning Program. Honors Unless otherwise noted, entries from Cooney's entry in Encyclopedia of Television (2013). Christopher Medal, 1970 National Institute for Social Sciences Gold Medal, 1971 Frederick Douglass Award, New York Urban League, 1972 Silver Satellite Award, American Women in Radio and TV, 1979 Woman of the Decade Award, 1979 National Endowment for the Arts, Friends of Education Award, 1981 Kiwanis Decency Award, 1981 National Association of Educational Broadcasters Distinguished Service Award, 1981 Stephen S. Wise Award, 1981 Harris Foundation Award, 1982 Emmy Award, for Lifetime Achievement, 1989 Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame, 1989 University of Arizona Centennial Medallion Award, 1989 Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1995 10th Anniversary Award, National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, 1996 National Women's Hall of Fame, 1998 National Endowment for the Humanities Award, 2003 National Humanities Medal, 2004 Literarian Award of the National Book Award, 2010 Honoree, Annual Sesame Workshop Benefit Gala, 2014 International Broadcasting Convention’s International Honor for Excellence; first woman to receive award, 2018 Board of directors Director, Johnson & Johnson Director, Metropolitan Life Insurance Company National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, 1971–73 National News Council, 1973–81 Council Foreign Relations, 1974–present Advisory Committee for Trade Negotiations, 1978–80 Governor's Commission on International Year of the Child, 1979 President's Commission for Agenda for the 1980s, 1980–81 Carnegie Foundation National Panel on High Schools, 1980–82 National Organization for Women (NOW) National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences National Institute Social Sciences International Radio and TV Society American Women in Radio and TV Trustee WNET (Channel 13) Emeritus, Museum of Television & Radio (Paley Center) Allegheny College Columbia