Fred Rogers Institute Helper Awards

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Fred Rogers Institute Helper Awards

Nominations for the 2023 Fred Rogers Institute Helper Awards are open!

Nominate a Helper

Informed and inspired by the legacy of Fred Rogers, the Helper Awards are an opportunity to honor and recognize the individuals who care for children in ordinary and extraordinary ways in their daily and professional lives.

The Fred Rogers Institute has a 20 year history of looking for the helpers, respecting the unique and essential contributions they make to children’s lives, and supporting and uplifting their work. Helpers across 10 categories will be selected and honored at The Neighborhood Gala at the Fred Rogers Institute in Fall 2023. We invite nominations across the following categories:
  • First Responders (such as Police Officer, Firefighters, etc.) 
  • Healthcare Professionals (including Medical and Mental Health)
  • Early Childhood Educators or Administrators
  • Elementary Educators or Administrators
  • Middle Grades Educators or Administrators
  • High School Educators or Administrators
  • Post-secondary Educators or Administrators
  • Out of School Time Educators (Librarians, Museum Educators, Afterschool Educators, Camp Counselors, Coaches)
  • Community Leaders (such as Religious Leaders, Activists, Community Organization Leaders, etc.)
  • Everyday Helpers (Crossing Guards, Bus Drivers, Neighbors, etc.)

Nominations will be accepted from February 1, 2023 through May 1, 2023. The nomination form will close at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time on May 1, 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please complete the form above to nominate an individual for a Fred Rogers Institute Helper Award. The form asks for basic information for you and your nominee, a brief written statement, and a simple video from you about why you are nominating this helper. We will reach out to you directly if we need any information. If you don’t hear from us, rest assured we received your nomination and are eagerly reviewing it! We will not inform your nominee that you have nominated them. You are welcome to let them know or keep this to yourself! 

This is not a vote-based nomination. Please do not nominate the same person more than once.

You are welcome to nominate more than one person. Please submit separate forms for each nominee.

Nominations will be accepted from February 1, 2023 through May 1, 2023. The nomination form will close at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time on May 1, 2023.
Awardees will be announced in Summer 2023. Both you and your nominee will be directly informed if your nominee has been selected for a Helper Award. Your nominee will not be informed if they have not been selected. The Awards will be announced publicly later this summer, and Awardees will be honored at an event at the Fred Rogers Institute in Latrobe, PA in Fall 2023. 

To be eligible, nominees must be 18 years of age by January 1, 2023. 

We invite nominations of individuals in any location. The awardees will be honored in person at the Fred Rogers Institute in Fall 2023, but ability to attend in person is not a requirement for selection. A travel stiped will be given for the Awardee and one guest. 

Yes! We do ask that children under the age of 18 wishing to nominate a Helper have an adult complete the form with them. The adult should put their own name and contact information in the “Your Information” section of the form. There is a field for entering a child’s name if they are helping nominate a Helper.
Helper Awardees will be honored at The Neighborhood Gala: A Celebration of Children’s Helpers and the 20th Anniversary of the Fred Rogers Institute in Fall 2023. Details on the Gala will be availalbe on our website later this spring! Awardees will be offered a travel stipend to support the cost of travel for themselves and one guest. 

Please see the information at the top of this webpage for a list of the categories for the Helper Awards. In the nomination form you will be able to select which category best represents your nominee. The categories are intended to be broad and inclusive, so we hope you find the right fit! 

Parents, grandparents, and other family caregivers are, of course, often the ultimate “helper” to any child. For the Fred Rogers Institute Helper Awards, we are looking for individuals who “help” children beyond their family.