Building on Fred Rogers’ belief in the power of media to foster early childhood development, The Fred Rogers Center has been bringing experts together from educational, developmental, media fields, etc. to discuss quality digital media for young children and the construction of a framework to strengthen this endeavor.

June 3-5th the 2012 Fred Forward Conference will be held in Latrobe, PA.  On Monday afternoon, June 4th, I will be speaking with Cathy Cohen Droz, Kevin Morrison & Jesse Schell on the subject of What’s New at The Fred Rogers Company. Chances are that I may bring up Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood at least once during the discussion 😉

There, I revealed more about myself, tried not to cry & presented the show’s curriculum & it’s importance for today’s children.

The best part?  I got to walk over center stage to interview Dr. Aisha White Oprah style.

Dr. White, in her own words, let everyone know that many children (& many adults) don’t learn how to deal with their emotions.  You might know some adults like this, right?

Clue #3:  I am the result of PBS programming…it creates people like me who wish to grow up and educate children through media.

Celebrate the premiere of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood with us!

Labor Day, SEPTEMBER 3rd @ 11am est

Thank you everyone at PBS Kids for a wonderful Annual Meeting in Denver, CO to announce the Premiere of DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD this LABOR DAY, SEPT 3RD at 11am EST.  

Me & Mrs Joanne Rogers in the Trolley at our PBS Kids breakfast to showcase Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood!

I was close to tears the whole day….

It started at 6:15am as I walked into the room transformed beautifully into the Neighborhood of Make Believe by Karen Fritz and Suzanne Masri from WETA.  Incredible work!

Paul Siefken (PBS Kids) started our presentation talking about Daniel as a “signature show” for PBS.  He said, “Everyone knows not to interrupt me when I’m with my Daniel.  I first have to dab my eyes, because the show is that sweet.  And the characters are that cute.”

It was then our turn. Kevin Morrison (CEO Fred Rogers Company) and I gave some “inside scoop” into the show.  We talked about our passion for the show and I revealed that they practically had to rip the first script out of my hands.  Someone from the Fred Rogers Company said, “It’s not like Fred is going to read it!”  But I thought differently.  “Maybe he will….. and if he does, will he like it?”

But my favorite moment?  Announcing Bill Isler, President of Fred Rogers Company and Mrs. Joanne Rogers to a standing ovation!  Joanne got up on stage and gave me the biggest hug.  I turned to Bill Isler, he had tears in his eyes, and I flashed back to 15 years ago, when Bill allowed me behind the “velvet red ropes” to greet Fred after a keynote speech at NAEYC.  Now look where we are today.

Tears all day…

Angela Santomero, Karen Fritz, Joanne Rogers, Suzanne Masri & Kevin Morrison

So, I remember all too clearly being 9+ months pregnant, on my way to the hospital with my husband, making grand gestures to all my neighbors of “We’ll be back with the baby!” and “Today’s the big day! We’re going to have a baby!”

…3+ hours later we sheepishly returned home

…no baby

Today was not the day.

Well, that’s how I felt at #SXSW!  I was so excited to give everyone a sneak peek of our much labored and beloved Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood! We were ready! We were going to share with the world our new little creation! And then…

…technical difficulties.

…no sneak peek.

Today was not the day.

However, what I did get to do was show everyone who came to have a glorious PBS KIDS SXSW BREAKFAST was our vision, our goals, and a sneak peek at some of our beautiful visuals.  Hurray!

Daniel Tiger, the son of the original Daniel Tiger is our star. He’s four years old, he wears a little red sweater and sneakers and talks directly to the preschool home viewers the way Fred Rogers did.

Our characters are “the next generation” of characters from the Neighborhood of Make Believe.  All of the original characters have grown up and they all have preschoolers of their own.

Introducing…..Prince Wednesday (King Friday and Queen Sarah’ Saturday’s later in life baby), Miss Elaina (daugther of Lady Elaine and Music Man Stan), O the Owl (nephew of X the Owl) and Katerina ‘meow meow” Kittycat (daughter of Henrietta ‘meow meow’ Pussycat).

The friends live and play together in the newly imagined and expanded Neighborhood of Make Believe created with hand crafted textures and love.

And, WAIT until you hear the music!

Our curriculum is based on little musical strategies that are all singable and relevant to preschoolers (and us, parents) for use every day. So, “What do you do with the mad that you feel?Well, when you feel so mad you want to ROAR! Take a deep breath and count to four….1,2,3,4”.No really, how great would it be if more adults put this this skill into action as well?!

The Fred Roger’s Company is the expert in socio-emotional curriculum and have literally written the book (& thousands of shows) on how to talk to kids about these issues. At Out of the Blue, we’ve painstakingly researched all of these strategies with kids, themselves, to get them just right. We’re proud to say that kids in research can’t get enough of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. They are singing, learning our strategies and using them already in their lives!

So, no, we didn’t birth a baby at SXSW.

But we did get a lot of new wonderful blogger aunts and uncles who came to support us and who will be there, at the ready, when our new baby Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood actually does premiere THIS FALL on (where else?!) PBS KIDS!

PBS KIDS Breakfast: The Cool Kids – What’s New for Today’s Digital Kids

On Sunday, March 11th, I’ll be joining Sara DeWitt (Vice President of PBS KIDS Interactive) at South by Southwest in Austin, TX for breakfast, interactive presentations and Q&A.

We will be discussing a few incredibly cool PBS happenings, both on-air and on the interactive side as well as answering the BIG question of: How do you create content that’s both educational & entertaining?

Within the conversation, we’ll be discussing the exciting development of the new Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood spin off, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and show a special Sneak Peek Video Clip from our 1st episode. I can’t wait to share it!

hashtags: #sxsw #pbskids

The following is from a talk that I gave this morning at Kidscreen Summit. The session was entitled Like a Boss:  Honing Your Leadership Skills. I was honored that Donna Friedman Meir had asked me to be among such a smart group of panelists, which was made up of

• Kate Ebner
• Thomas Lynch
• Maggie McGuire

WHAT DOES LEADERSHIP MEAN TO YOU?

I believe that a leader is an eternal optimist. She has a vision, has audacity to see that vision through, and has contagious, passionate energy to empower the right people to help make the dream a reality.

My passion is to empower kids.  I want them to know that they have a voice, and that what they say matters…even if it takes them longer to say it.  I believe that if we pause, wait, listen attentively, preschoolers (kids in general) will talk.  And what they have to say is brilliant.  My vision is to create educational shows that kids want to watch.  My approach has been to marry the very best preschool curriculum with the magic and influence of media.

I was that 4 yr old who couldn’t sit any closer to Mister Rogers when he was on…& talking to me. I grew up and wanted to make my own mark on children’s television because I did not like much of what was on for kids.  Blue’s Clues was born out of the desire to have kids learn the skills they needed for kindergarten. I wanted them to practice those skills by using their voice and “interacting”. So, we left a 4 beat pause in.

Super Why is about motivating and teaching kids to read. By leaving the pause in, kids at home are practicing literacy skills by helping our super heroes with the power to read.

With the premiere of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood this Fall, I am bringing the pause back full circle, honoring the man who taught us about the power of the pause in television – Fred Rogers. And this time we use it for the most important skills of all…socio-emotional.

I started in the research department at Nickelodeon. And the day that I decided to leave to finish my Master’s Degree because I wanted to “create shows for preschoolers” was the day people called my “crazy”. I got lots of push back. But I saw my future. And I love to prove my neigh sayers wrong.

I remember being on set for the pilot of Blue’s Clues thinking to myself, “This had better work out because I’m never going back!” My father in law was the one who told me that only the best & biggest accomplishments come out of educated risks. I believe he was right.

THE BUMPS IN THE ROAD… 

My biggest career obstacle was the day we found out that Blue’s Clues had ended its run. What? 10 years, just under 100 people who were like family working under one roof for this great show. This wasn’t just a job.

As much as I should have known that productions don’t stay around forever, I wasn’t prepared for this day. I took some meetings and my barometer was, “If I don’t feel like throwing up after the meeting, I would pursue it.”. It took a year.

I had pitched PBS’ Linda Simensky my “reading show”, which was Super Why, and the day she called to tell me that PBS wanted to make it, I literally sank to the floor. My identity was back!

Push through the negativity. Don’t follow the status quo. Don’t ask too many people what they “think”. Follow your gut, your passion, have chutzpah, make calls, meet people and follow through on opportunities to learn in the area that excites you even if you don’t know where its going to take you. Be open. Find an outlet to get your vision out in the world. And remember that it takes a village. So find the best and the brightest, be good to them, and have them join you in making your dream a reality.

Like a Boss: Honing Your Leadership Skills

On February 7th (9-10a) I will be speaking at the kids’ entertainment industry’s most important annual event, Kidscreen Summit. The session lets you sit down with some of our industry’s most experienced executives and unearth the secret ingredients of effective leadership. Join us and be inspired by the vision, wisdom and personal “growing pains” stories of the following:

Kate Ebner – Panelist – Founder & President: The Nebo Company
Donna Friedman Meir – Moderator – President: Lemonade Creative Consulting
Thomas Lynch  – Speaker – CEO & Executive Producer: Tom Lynch Company
Angela Santomero – Speaker Founding Partner & Executive Producer: Out of the Blue Enterprises

As mentioned in an earlier post, I’ll also be moderating the Channel Team Spotlight: PBS Kids Panel at 3p that day. I hope to see you there!

The kids’ entertainment industry’s most important annual event, Kidscreen Summit is in NYC this year from February 7-10.

On Feb 7th, I will be moderating the Channel Team Spotlight: PBS Kids session at 3pm. Coming off a 20% ratings hike last year, PBS Kids is all about transmedia in 2012. Listen in as the team talks strategy and explains why an integrated multi-platform approach to content is the new baseline for producers looking to land one onto the schedule. Also find out what is up next for the coveted Ready to Learn grant.

Come hear discussions about important issues & engage in critical dialogue that is integral to the business. Attendees from over 42 countries and 350+ kids broadcast buyers will be in the house.

[more info on Kidscreen Summit 2012]

When I was asked to speak about how to “Balance Life as a Modern Woman ”, I thought “ Wait a second. Do I have the answer? Because I have no idea….” So, after the panic attack, I shared my story on Monday with several hundred moms and educators from my daughter’s school.

But here’s the truth…I never thought I would be a working mom.  My life is all about kids.

I am still learning how to navigate the 2 worlds of being a mom that works, but here are 6 clues from my talk, that have assisted me in the attempt to balance it all while staying sane:

CLUE #1: SUPPORT
Wherever you may get it from, don’t be too proud to accept…and acknowledge it.

CLUE #2: HAVE PASSION FOR WHAT YOU DO
It’s like oxygen, you need it to be successful

CLUE #3:  TEAMWORK.  IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD
Nothing like friends who you can call on to help you out at the last minute, or work friends who understand that sometimes you need to be somewhere.  No questions asked.

CLUE #4:  TRUST THE TEAM
Little by little I started to learn more about how to let go – at work and at home.

CLUE #5:  BE PLAYFUL
It gets you out of a lot of difficult situations.

CLUE #6:  INVOLVE YOUR KIDS IN WHAT YOU DO, and they, in turn, will involve YOU in what THEY do
My girls are critical connoisseurs of media.  They write scripts with me, give notes on rough cuts of animation, weigh in on music.  There’s nothing that builds self esteem better than having your voice heard.

Good luck in your personal quest for balance!

Join me Nov 2-5^th at the world’s largest gathering of early childhood educators at the 2011 NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo, Orlando, FL. Sharpen your Playskool saw and come explore, connect, network and become energized.

If you’re not able to attend be sure to take advantage of this year’s newest online learning opportunity, the NAEYC Live Learning Center. This resource connects you with up to 50 hrs of selected sessions from the conferences allowing you to catch up on sessions you weren’t able to attend and experience twice the knowledge!

I will be a featured speaker on Nov 4^th covering the topic of:  Connecting the Classroom to Educational, Interactive Children’s Media: Blues Clues, Super Why and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Come on over and say hello!