About the Fred Rogers Institute

The Fred Rogers Institute advances the legacy of Fred Rogers by investing in the strengths of families and caring adults to support the healthy development of children.

Our values define who we are and what we do.

We Value Relationships
Human relationships are the foundation of learning and growing.

We Value Belonging
Every child and adult should be celebrated for their differences and know they matter in the world.

We Value Families & Caring Adults 
Supporting families and caring adults begins with respecting the essential role they play in the lives of children.

We Value Childhood
Helping children become who they are requires cherishing childhood here and now.

It has been decades since Mister Rogers first looked into the camera and asked us to be his neighbor, but time has not diminished the impact of his legacy. Fred knew something very important about children and about all of us - that we all have something special to give. 

At the Fred Rogers Institute at Saint Vincent College, we carry forward a legacy that taught us to cherish childhood and respect the “something special” each adult has to bring to the life of a child. Planned under Fred’s guidance and established in 2003 at Saint Vincent College near his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, the Fred Rogers Institute is the single most authoritative resource for studying Fred Rogers’ legacy.

Fred Rogers established the Institute with the goals of working with current professionals to support their practice in the service of children and families, researchers looking to deepen their understanding of the important issues facing children, and students of the college who aspired to serve children and their helpers. All of this important work begins with the Fred Rogers Archive. Inside the Fred Rogers Archive you will find Daniel Striped Tiger, a familiar red sweater, and more than 22,000 other items that paint the story of who Fred was and how he brought his deep respect and care for children to the world. The handwritten notes, scripts, speeches, and other writings give us incredible insight into a legacy that has impacted generations. The Archive is a living resource, with continuous visits from researchers, educators, journalists, and students seeking to be inspired and guided by Fred’s work.

In 2022, we became the Fred Rogers Institute after being known as the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. Our new name gives greater clarity to our work and focus as an institute for ongoing learning and growing, focused on adults who serve children. 

The Fred Rogers Institute empowers educators and caregivers through professional learning opportunities such as The Work of Fred Rogers Conference, and communities of belonging like Educators’ Neighborhood and Family Connection Groups. Located on the campus of Saint Vincent College, the Fred Rogers Institute also supports aspiring children’s helpers through student-driven initiatives including the Fred Rogers Scholars Program and academic programs such as the Certificate in Values-Based Leadership and the Children’s Studies Minor.

We are grateful for your interest in the Fred Rogers Institute! Please feel free to reach out or to visit us the next time you are in our neighborhood.