Kid characters value ‘Family’

SpongeBob SquarePants, Barney and Clifford the Big Red Dog are joining forces to rerecord the disco tune “We Are Family” to promote diversity and tolerance in classrooms.

A video starring the three children’s characters plus nearly 100 others, including Dora the Explorer and Arthur, will be distributed to 61,000 public and private elementary schools nationwide, along with lesson plans for teachers. It will air simultaneously in March on Nickelodeon, PBS and the Disney Channel.

The We Are Family Foundation was founded by singer-songwriter Nile Rodgers, who wrote the song recorded in 1979 by Sister Sledge. The nonprofit organization creates and supports programs about diversity and multiculturalism. The video was financed by a grant from the Toni Mendez Shapiro estate.