From “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood” to “Alma’s Way” and “Donkey Hodie,” Fred Rogers Productions creates some of the most respected programs in children’s media. But the Pittsburgh-based company founded by TV icon Fred Rogers also wants to ensure the people writing for those shows are as diverse as the children watching them.
This week, the company announced the launch of Writers’ Neighborhood, a five-year initiative to identify and support new and emerging writers from underrepresented racial groups. Following last year's pilot, applications for the next cohort of fellows will be open May 1-15. The program will welcome that class in September, and another new cohort each of the following three years.
“Really this is about focusing on the broad craft of writing and understanding what it’s like to be part of this industry,” said Ellen Doherty, Fred Rogers Productions’ chief creative officer.
Doherty said the curriculum covers the scriptwriting craft as well as career development. It’s designed for freelancers — a category, she said, that includes most new and emerging writers, who often don’t get the feedback they need to advance their careers.
“It’s one of those things, how do you get the experience if you don’t have the experience?” said Doherty.
Writers’ Neighborhood grew out of a 2022 pilot program. Doherty said some fellows from that pilot session have since written episodes for the company’s series.
Applicants must be 21 or older, have not written more than four episodes for a U.S.-based network or cable scripted/narrative series, and identify as Asian, Pacific Islander, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/indigenous, Middle Eastern/North African, or multiracial.
All applicants will have access to some form of seminar-style training, Doherty said.
Fellows accepted to the program will receive two weekend-long in-person trainings at Fred Rogers Productions’ headquarters, on the South Side. In between those weekends come weekly virtual sessions, including talks by working experts in the children’s-media field.
On April 27, Fred Rogers Productions will host a webinar on the application process. Details are here.
More information on the Writers’ Neighborhood is here.
