Back then, we were struggling to convince the college of the need for a larger space and lab school program.  Fred reminded me that we need to keep our message of love and care for children clear, and that we were only responsible for telling others about the importance of childhood; the space between the teacher and the learner was sacred, and those who heard the message were responsible for their own change. This message was a comfort through the 15 years of advocacy that it took to fund our new Hume House Child Development & Student Research Center, which now serves 40 children and about 250 undergraduates per year.

Mister Rogers passed away in 2003, when his youngest grandchild was just a few weeks old, and Dr. Carnahan spoke at his memorial service. After his death, Joanne Rogers was a frequent visitor, and provided for the re-development of the CDC playground.

Hedda Sharapan, Director of Early Childhood Initiatives at The Fred Rogers Company, spent a week with the CDC in the early 2000’s and helped us shape our center’s philosophy. She returned several times as a conference speaker and consultant, and we visited the studios in Pittsburgh at her invitation. With help from Joanne Rogers and Hedda Sharapan as speakers and guides, we began a series of Good Neighbor Events.  These conferences, talks and 

conversations focus on social emotional support for young children – research and practice – and are open to the community.

Fred Rogers’ Work and Influence on our Curriculum.  Fred Rogers’ work (the Neighborhood and all the Family Communications publications) was heavily influenced by his work with Margaret McFarland, Ph.D. at the University of Pittsburg in the 1950s.  She reviewed scripts and topics for 30 years.  Psychological ideas about children’s need for attachment, safety and security, respect, and careful conversation about any important topic, were products of this early training.  The Neighborhood also reflects the principles of Erik Erickson, and Albert Bandura’s Social Learning Theory, which posits that children are most likely to copy or imitate people who they like. Fred recognized that TV was a great medium for this.

Rather than the more cognitive focus of Sesame Street, Mister Rogers Neighborhood (and its successor, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) focused on the social emotional development of children. Our preschool curriculum does, too.

Fred Rogers was inspired by a sign at Rollins which reads “Life is for Service.” He carried a copy in his wallet.  Here, we follow his example as we teach preschool children to care, share, and help others. They are thoughtful people whose needs for love and listening must be met by the adults around them.  Today at the CDC, we sing songs from the Neighborhood in classrooms, focus on talking about feelings and John Gottman’s emotion coaching model, and complete service projects with our families (such as the St. Jude Trike a Thon) each year.

In 2021, a massive sculpture was unveiled on our campus memorializing Mister Rogers and his contribution to Children’s television and early education. The children of the lab school at Hume House took part in the process by being the inspiration of the Artist Paul Day, and by contributing to the unveiling, singing the song by Mister Rogers, “It’s You I like.”