STUDENTS TO PRODUCE YOUTUBE
SERIES ON FRED ROGERS
T
he lessons Fred Rogers taught were timeless,
and Fox Chapel Area High School students are
learning that. Several students, led by multimedia
teacher Ryan Devlin, are reading the biography
“The Good Neighbor” as a precursor to their work
producing a YouTube series. The project will include videos
featuring the students interviewing some of the cast and
crew of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” along with author
Maxwell King, who wrote the 2018 biography the students
are studying.
The idea for the project came from Mr. Devlin and University
of Pittsburgh student teacher Jessica Morris. Ms. Morris
knows one of the original cast members.
The students will
interview some crew and
cast members and Mr.
King in late May. The
five or six videos will
each address a different
topic related to Mister
Rogers’ life. The project
is expected to be released
Students watched and studied an episode of “Mister Rogers’
Neighborhood” as part of their research.
prior to Fox Studio’s movie on Mister Rogers, “A Beautiful
Day in the Neighborhood,” which will debut in November.
The movie stars Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers.
According to Mr. Devlin, these Fox Chapel Area High School
students have been granted unprecedented access to these
crew members and stars of the show.
“This is a very unique project that is not being done by other
students and it is going to be 100 percent the students’ work,”
he said. “They are planning the interview questions, filming,
editing, and are working together as a team.”
Freshman Lance Wilhelm said Mister Rogers helped shape the
person he is today.
“Mister Rogers’ seemingly simple beliefs of being a ‘good
person’ and always doing the ‘right thing’ transcend all
boundaries and are able to connect with all people around the
world in a very meaningful way,” he said.
Student teacher Jessica Morris, left, reviewed a new version of the Swift
Fox Media logo with a student. The logo is the name of the high school
multimedia center’s YouTube channel.
The students will be interviewing the guests on the original
“Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” sets which are now at the
Heinz History Center. As an extra added touch, the high
school jazz band will be playing a jazz version of the theme
song, “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”
FOX CHAPEL AREA
❘
SUMMER 2019
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