History Center Book Talk to Explore the Teachings of Fred Rogers

The Senator John Heinz History Center – the Smithsonian’s home in Pittsburgh – will host an evening with Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski, co-authors of the new book, “When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids” on Thursday, March 24 from 6:30-8 p.m.  

The History Center will host an evening with Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski, co-authors of the new book, “When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids” on Thursday, March 24.

In this book talk, Behr and Rydzewski will share stories behind their inspiration for writing “When You Wonder, You’re Learning,” which introduces families and educators to lessons digital-age kids can learn from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

With insights from thinkers, scientists, and teachers, the book explores how today’s kids, and their parents, can excel at what Rogers taught best: being human. 

The authors will discuss their research into unpacking Rogers’ “tools for learning,” as well as personal memories of how his teachings have impacted their lives. 

Please register in advance. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids aged 17 and under, and FREE for History Center members. Tickets include access to History Center exhibitions prior to the event, including the popular Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood exhibit featuring the original living room set and puppets from the legendary TV show.

ABOUT GREGG BEHR: 

Gregg Behr, executive director of The Grable Foundation, is a father and children’s advocate whose work is inspired by his hero, Fred Rogers. For more than a decade, he has helped lead Remake Learning—a network of educators, scientists, artists, and makers he founded in 2007—to international renown. Formed in Rogers’ real-life neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Remake Learning has turned heads everywhere from Forbes to the World Economic Forum for its efforts to ignite children’s curiosity, encourage creativity, and foster justice and belonging in schools, libraries, museums, and more. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and also Duke University, Gregg holds honorary degrees from Carlow University and Saint Vincent College. He is an advisor to the Brookings Institution and the Fred Rogers Center and has been cited by Barack Obama, Richard Branson, and the Disruptor Foundation as an innovator and thought leader.

ABOUT RYAN RYDZEWSKI: 

Ryan Rydzewski is a writer whose science and education reporting has garnered several awards and fellowships. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, he taught elementary school in south Louisiana before earning an MFA in nonfiction writing from Chatham University. As a freelancer, he has published magazine stories focusing on everything from schools to space travel to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and his poems and other pieces appear in several journals. Born in Erie, Pennsylvania, Ryan lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Jacqueline. 

The Senator John Heinz History Center, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and the largest history museum in Pennsylvania, presents American history with a Western Pennsylvania connection. The History Center and Sports Museum are located at 1212 Smallman Street in the city’s Strip District. The History Center’s family of museums includes the Sports Museum; the Fort Pitt Museum in historic Point State Park; and Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village, a National Historic Landmark located in Avella, Pa., in Washington County. More information is available at www.heinzhistorycenter.org.