West Central Florida’s primary PBS station, WEDU PBS , is a powerhouse of community positivity! See how WEDU and Daniel Tiger made a difference this October at the ‘Be My Neighbor’ event at the Glazer Children’s Museum.

Free for All

The Children’s Board of Hillsborough County’s Free Tuesdays at Glazer Children’s Museum has been delighting children and parents for years. On top of free admission and with the help of WEDU, families have fun giving back to their community as they navigate fun-filled activities, meet some of their favorite PBS characters, and take home books of their very own.

Each event has a different theme, says Gail Taylor, Director of Educational Services for WEDU, and October 2017’s theme was ‘Be My Neighbor’ – a theme, Gail says, that ties in directly with lovable PBS character, Daniel Tiger, from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, an offshoot of the beloved Mister Rogers television program.

With over 2,700 children and families in attendance, WEDU’s activities took off! Visitors created ‘Caring Neighbor Kits’ that included a Daniel Tiger book, placemat, packet of PBS Kids educational materials and other resources. A Daniel Tiger sweater drive was also held at the event, where sweaters, jackets, and other clothing items were donated through The Children’s Board of Hillsborough County to children in need in the community. Mobile learning labs are also incorporated including tablets loaded with free PBS apps for families and children to try.

Granted an Amazing Opportunity

The event was all possible due to a generous grant made by the Fred Rogers Company and PNC Bank – foundations that both promote and focus on early childhood education, family engagement, and other life lessons and skills.

“It was such a logical partnership,” says Gail. “PNC has their own initiative called Grow Up Great which focuses on early childhood education from years 0-5, and partners with both Sesame Street and Fred Rogers.”

Funded by such generous grants, October’s Free Tuesday was a big blow out. “We knew we’d have a big crowd, but we ran out of everything!” she said. “We’ve also developed groupies, families that come to each of our events.”

Daniel Tiger is a continuation of the Mister Rogers’s legacy. The son of original characters on the long-running PBS children’s show, Daniel wears a red sweater just like Mister Rogers, and teaches young children the same lessons of kindness, honesty, communication, and more.

Encouraging Literacy

When it comes to books, Gail explained that WEDU gives away children’s books as often as they can at their events, especially when low-income families are in attendance that may not have the resources to buy books for their home library.

“We always are looking for specific books with PBS characters that children and their families are familiar with, and that we know they’ll enjoy taking home with them,” she said.

As the primary PBS station serving West Central Florida, WEDU fully understands and accepts their responsibility to help encourage youngsters not only to read, but to explore and make sense of the world around them. As one Free Tuesday attendee stated, “WEDU is essential to be able to teach kids all sorts of things about the world that they may not have access to.”

This event has it all: local volunteerism, community development, childhood learning, and a free day at the museum. WEDU, Glazer Children’s Museum and the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County have truly created something special down in Florida that will continue to provide children and their families with free resources for years to come.

Read more about WEDU, and browse Daniel Tiger books here!