But they were comforted when Fred Rogers, the calm, sweatered host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, appeared on TV to explain what war is and how it affects us all. One was developed in Toledo by WGTE and the other in Dallas by Ralph Rogers and KERA, working with the Children's Television Workshop. Now both projects are going national after achieving success on the local level. WGTE will hold a nationwide teleconference at the end of January for stations interested in joining the Mister Rogers project. Seventy-four had signed up at one point earlier this month, and the station is hoping for 100 by the Dec. 25 deadline.
Stations can immediately begin work on the project.
Teachers slowed their pace, lowered their voices, and began speaking to the children rather than at them. Encouraged by Rogers' results, Sesame Street 's producer, CTW, decided to take the project national. KERA, Dallas, set about developing the pilot project. In both Toledo and Dallas, the teachers or child care providers were trained to use workbooks that reinforce the programs' themes through exercises using drama, singing, counting and the like. Children were encouraged to actively participate in the shows, not just view them passively.