PITTSBURGH — Gregg Behr's family had four channels to choose from while he was growing up in the 1970s. Though there wasn't much to choose from, one program in particular would play an outsized role in his future.

One of the few channels was PBS, meaning the Pittsburgh native regularly watched Fred Rogers appear on his television screen when episodes of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" (1968-2001) aired on WQED-TV.

"It was Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and there was a sense that you could learn in all sorts of places," Behr said. "You could learn in the land of make believe, you could learn in Mr. Rogers' living room or his kitchen. And you could go also go off to a crayon factory, to a community garden, to the merry-go-round and all sorts of places."

And even though Rogers' show ended more than two decades ago, he's still inspiring Behr and others.

Educators from across the country annually travel to "frED Camp," a conference held this year at The Fred Rogers Institute in Latrobe, to discuss Rogers' teaching "blueprints" and how they might use them to innovate in their classrooms.

Jennifer Toney, a Sharpsville Area Elementary School third grade teacher, played a key role in starting frED Camp. She first learned about Rogers during a presentation on the book "When You Wonder, You're Learning," by Behr and Ryan Rydzewski at the 2022 Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo & Conference.

"Even though I swore I was not going to buy another book, I went straight down and I was the first person in line to buy a copy of 'When You Wonder,'" Toney said of the book, which turns lessons from "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" into an educational guide.

Rogers' "blueprint" is a framework of his ideas that educators can still learn from, Rydzewski said. The three main tenets: using science to inform how kids are taught, creating a safe space for learning and getting children out of the classroom and into the "neighborhood."

"We look to those blueprints that he left us, but blueprints are really just a guide," Rydzewski said. "You can add a modern swing to blueprints or you can make things your own way adapted for your own times. But the bones of what really matters, that's what Fred showed us and I think that's what folks continue to learn from him today."

At PETE&C, Toney also connected with Wilmington Area School District first grade teacher Tracy Andrews. Soon after, they both met with Behr and Rydzewski to plan the first frED Camp, which debuted in May 2023.

It's continued to evolve since, with teachers touring The Fred Rogers Archive (which includes over 22,000 items from his personal and professional life) as part of the experience.

These days, Toney continues to use what she's learned from Rogers' framework in the classroom.

"I just started reading more books about [Rogers] and watching some of the episodes and now I try to sprinkle ['Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'] episodes in with my third graders," Toney said.

She also creates hands-on experiences that connect to her students' learning, similar to how Rogers had his audience imitate the "up and down" of a ladder in the very first episode of "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood."

Many of her students grew up with "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood" (2012), an animated series from PBS based off the original "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood," so Toney usually shares some Fred Rogers history with her class while they watch.

The show was originally filmed and produced at WQED-TV in Pittsburgh. Its first episode aired more than 50 years ago and has since been an educational inspiration to people like Behr, who currently serves as the executive director of the Grable Foundation, and is the founder of Remake Learning — a free peer network that connects educators and innovators to "enrich" Pittsburgh's learning ecosystem.

Toney believes Rogers' intentionality with technology was important, too.

Relatively "new technology" utilized on the show included the then-emerging push-button telephone and the computer mouse. Toney compared them to today's latest iPhone or tablet, noting that, regardless of timeline, technology can be used in both positive and negative ways. People can always find ways to use it "inspire" and to "make the world a better place," she said.

"I try to remember that when I'm doing anything with technology in my classroom, whether it's a high-tech or a low-tech event," Toney said.

Andrews also embraces many of Rogers' teaching ideas — one, in particular.

"My focus with students has always been building a relationship with them first and creating a safe a trustworthy environment in my classroom so that anything we are doing that requires creativity or curiosity, it gives them a safe place to take those risks," Andrews said.

She said she takes extra time with students who might be struggling and moves "eye-to-eye" with them while doing so in an effort to make sure they feel heard.

"Fred was very deliberate in everything he did with children," Andrews explained. "He's known for his very slow manner of speaking and that was very, very deliberate on his part because he know it helped children in that era to listen and learn better.

"I just appreciated his intentionality in everything he did."

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