I received a holiday card the other day that said “From our family to yours, we wish you … joy!” At first I was taken by the image on the card which was very funny; the person who created the card is a brilliant artist. But then I was struck by “we wish you joy.” That small three letter word conveys...
Read MoreThe roots of Thanksgiving are based on the celebration of a bountiful harvest. Although most families don’t farm anymore, they do harvest -- figuratively. We do our best to nourish and care for our children. We worry about them, rejoice in their achievements, and with a little bit of luck, our children become confident, competent, and caring human beings. I...
Read MoreWelcome back to the Fred Rogers Center Newsletter as we return from our summer hiatus. Over the past two weeks the Center has been abuzz, welcoming more than 100 students for course work, research, and scholarship opportunities. It was a busy summer with many opportunities to connect with providers and policy makers. Dr. Junlei Li provided the plenary speech at the 2016...
Read MoreAfter a six-month search, the Fred Rogers Center is happy to announce the newest addition to our organization, Jeremy Boyle, M.F.A. In his new position, as Assistant Professor of Learning, Media and Design, Jeremy will lead the Center in creating new initiatives on technology use in early childhood settings. Jeremy recently was resident artist at Carnegie Mellon University’s Community Robotics,...
Read MoreSpring has finally arrived in Latrobe, which puts a smile on my face and at the same time makes me realize how quickly the year is moving. Our Simple Interactions initiative is continuing to expand through collaborations with the Child Life Department at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh as well as Allies for Children, who is working with the city of...
Read MoreThere has been much talk lately about the issue of the digital divide and equity. Recently, The New York Times published an article, Bridging a Digital Divide That Leaves Schoolchildren Behind, about how some school children are being left behind due to their lack of access to internet at home, which is needed to complete assignments. Kids are forced to stand outside...
Read MoreThe end of the year always feels like a whirlwind. Between November and December, we've been busy with presentations at the annual National Association for the Education of Young Children Conference, Dr. Junlei Li's visit to China to provide professional development on the Simple Interactions approach, and connecting with our partners on a recent trip to the TEC Center at...
Read MoreI just got off of a call with Dr. Chip Donohue of the TEC Center at Erikson Institute, and Dr. Kathleen Paciga, our Early Career Research Fellow, regarding progress on our report on digital media and social emotional development. Though we are still early in the stages, I can see that this report is more relevant than ever as we...
Read MoreThroughout my life I have been very fortunate to be at the right place at the right time. I will say it again as I raise two young children and have the incredible good fortune to work at the Fred Rogers Center. You can't help but feel inspired by Fred's words and actions. Working with and meeting some of the most...
Read MoreDespite classes being out, June has been a remarkably busy month for us. Our Center's Co-Director, Dr. Junlei Li, spent the early part of this month in China building a partnership with the China Welfare Institute at the Soong Ching Ling Child Development Center. Through this collaboration, Junlei will integrate his Simple Interactions approach to support child development in urban and rural China. The programmatic work will...
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