PittEd Highlights
Carrying on Mister Rogers’ Legacy Written by Cassia Crogan
When the movie “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” starring Tom Hanks hit theaters this past November, it renewed the world’s wonder and appreciation for the work of the late Fred Rogers. The School of Education has a long history with and unwavering dedication to Rogers’ teachings and his immeasurable contributions to education and child psychology. His impact is realized across the classroom and in the community.
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Aisha White, director of the P.R.I.D.E. Program, with Fred Rogers before introducing him as the speaker at her 1993 Pitt commencement ceremony
ears ago, the young daughter of Lugene Calderone, an adjunct professor at the School of Education, inspired her to write a letter to Fred Rogers. To her surprise, she received two letters back: one from Rogers and one from producer Hedda Sharapan, who graduated from the University in 1967 with a major in child development and care. A friendship was born. For the past 10 years, Calderone has organized a classroom visit for her course Language and Literacy for the Young Child with Sharapan; fellow show producer Margy Whitmer; and Mister Speedy Delivery himself, David Newell. During the course, the effects of technology on early childhood literacy, such as the medium of television, are researched and discussed. Sharapan and Whitmer explore the impact of Rogers' philosophy on young children and learning. “My students were enthralled with each and every presentation throughout these years,” says Calderone. “Recently, revisiting those experiences has ignited a newfound interest in these young students, who may not have ever seen the series. And the international students are mesmerized by our own private Pittsburgh phenomenon.” One student who took a particular interest in Rogers’ work is Madhumita Mahesh, who earned her teacher education minor through the School of Education. As a child, Mahesh watched “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” with her mother, who used the show to practice her English after immigrating to the United States from India. Mahesh’s passion for
