January 27, 2025 Fred Rogers Institute Guide Provides Guidance on Children Dealing with Difficult Situations The Pennsylvania Key has shared a guide from the Fred Rogers Institute about how to support children during difficult moments in life. Learn More “When Difficult Things Happen” is a PDF that shares kind words that adults can say to children who are experiencing loss. It also lists various things for adults to do to support children during this process. Among the items listed on how to support children facing a loss include: Being there for them without judgment while the child experiences whatever feelings come up Helping them to know that their feelings are valid and accepted Sharing some of your own feelings Aiming to keep routines and expectations consistent, or letting them know what has to change and why Letting them know that difficult feelings don’t last forever Making space for play For more information or to read other methods to help children cope with difficult situations – such as loss – read the Fred Rogers Institute guide.
May 2, 2024 The Work of Fred Rogers: A Cross-Context Conference on Fred’s Legacy in Action Today More than 50 years after Fred Rogers first appeared on television and asked viewers to be his neighbor, the impact of his legacy continues to resonate. This summer, the Fred Rogers Institute will host its second annual Work of Fred Rogers Conference. Learn More The conference will be practice-focused and practice-informed. It will feature sessions from educators and other child-serving professionals who will share ideas, stories, and inspiration. Questions that will be explored during the conference include: How does Fred Rogers’ work inform practice in classrooms, communities, and child- and youth-focused spaces? What can adults draw from Fred Rogers’ work as we seek to be children’s helpers in our world today? The conference will be of interest to educators and practitioners who work in the direct service of children and/or families, or who provide support to those who provide support to those who work directly with children or families. Educators, clinicians, and practitioners in numerous child- and family-serving fields continue to turn to Rogers’ legacy to inform their practice. His wisdom continues to inspire families and children’s helpers. The agendas for day one and day two are both available. More Details The conference will be held on June 21 and 22 at the Fred Rogers Center on the campus of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. The cost for both days is $275, while the cost for one day is $143. Act 48 credits will be available to Pennsylvania educators who attend the conference. All attendees will receive certificates of attendance that can be applied to CEU credit in other states. Registration is open through June 14.
April 24, 2024 How to Get to Ultimate Play Day on May 18 Playful Pittsburgh will host its annual Ultimate Play Day on Saturday, May 18 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Activities Shelter in Riverview Park. There are three bus routes that can drop participants off close to the event. Learn More Ultimate Play Day is a celebration of playfulness for people of all ages. The event – co-hosted by Playful Pittsburgh, Trying Together, and Citiparks as part of Remake Learning Days – celebrates the importance of play. A number of city organizations will take part in the event – including the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Carnegie Science Center, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Fred Rogers Institute, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, and many more. A complete list can be found on Ultimate Play Day’s event page. Directions Participants driving to the event and taking 279 N should avoid Milroy Street. Instead of making the first left, continue on to East Street and take Baytree Street to the park. Three bus routes will drop participants close to the event. Riders can take Bus 8 from the Northside to Riverview Park. They can pick up this bus at Cedar, East North Avenue, or Federal Street. The closest stops to the park are Perrysville and Watson or Perrysville and Cherryfield. Riders can take Bus 12 from the Northside. The closest stop to the park is East Street and Venture Street, which is about a mile walk to the event. Riders can also take Bus 15 from Downtown. More Information If you have questions, contact Adam James Zahren, Program Director for Playful Pittsburgh, at adam@tryingtogether.org. To plan a route to Ultimate Play Day, visit Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s True Time System’s website.
April 5, 2023 Applications Open for Educators’ Neighborhood 2023-24 Cohort The application for the 2023-24 cohort of the Fred Rogers Institute Educators’ Neighborhood is now open. Educators’ Neighborhood is a community of educators who learn together through the life and work of Fred Rogers by studying artifacts from the Fred Rogers Archive and connecting ideas to daily practice. All applications must be submitted by May 26 at 5 p.m. About Educators’ Neighborhood This year-long opportunity brings together a cohort of educators from across the world who learn together, primarily through virtual meetings, and consider how to deepen their application of Fred Rogers’ work and theory to their work with children. The Fred Rogers Institute defines “educators” as any adult who directly serves children, youth, families, and/or other educators. Members of the 2023-24 cohort will have opportunities to participate in community discussion, present to other educators and leaders in the community, and attend: monthly whole community meetings to connect with educators across different contexts monthly small group meetings with other educators from similar contexts an opening and closing community convening to prepare for and reflect on learning from the year a mid-year community convening featuring presentations from educators within the community Application Process Before completing the application, applicants may want to consider and prepare responses to the open-response questions. Those questions include: Why do you want to be part of the Educators’ Neighborhood community? (50-100 words) What questions and topics would you like to explore with others in the community? (25-50 words) “There’s a world of difference between insisting on someone’s doing something and establishing an atmosphere in which that person can grow into wanting to do it.” What comes to mind as you reflect on this quote in the context of your work? (50-100 words) To apply, visit the Fred Rogers Institute website and complete the online application. Learn More To learn more, visit the Fred Rodgers Institute website or sign up for the Educators’ Neighborhood newsletter.
