Future Teachers Find Inspiration the Fred Rogers Way Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Kelly Pascarella, Ed.D., and Michele Leyshon, Ed.D., both assistant professors (second row, left), took a group of Point Park students to FrED Camp University, where they met other education students from the region and learned from teachers in the field. Julia Werner and Sophia DeVita (first row, right) share about their experiences in the story below.
Point Park education majors spent a day at FrED Camp University, an event designed to introduce future educators to Fred Rogers and explore current topics in their field through Fred Rogers' core principles: kindness, love, inclusion and creativity. The students selected workshops to attend as well as listened to a speaker and a panel discussion, all alongside other future educators from the Pittsburgh region.
Julia Werner, a junior PK-4 major, said, "I absolutely loved getting to connect with people who share the passion of teaching. I also didn’t know too much about Fred Rogers, but this experience helped me understand why he was loved by so many. The comfort and creativity he brought out were incredible and inspired me to want to bring that out in my future classroom."
Kelly Pascarella, Ed.D., assistant professor of education, brings students to the event each year. FrED Camp is a regional networking event for current teachers, and FrED Camp University is an offshoot designed to connect pre-service teachers (education students). It was held this year at LaRoche University.
"Students meet the educators, companies and nonprofits across the region that support classroom teachers," Pascarella said. "They leave knowing where to find help, resources and professional learning once they have classrooms of their own."
"It Made Me Remember Why I Want to be an Educator"
Werner selected workshops that focused on creativity and connection.
"This whole experience made me remember why I want to be an educator," Werner said. "It’s a place where students get to be creative in their learning and it does so much more than a textbook could ever do."
Sophia DeVita, also a junior PK–4 major, attended workshops called "The Six Fundamentals of Learning" and "Growing Beyond the Prompt: Designing AI Teaching Assistants with a Fred Rogers Mindset."
"Both sessions provided valuable insights and practical takeaways for future educators," DeVita said. "The experience reinforced the importance of creating meaningful connections and supportive learning environments for students."
School of Education Supports From Day One
"The School of Education offers many valuable opportunities, like FrED University, that allow students to learn, grow, and build professional connections," said DeVita, who transferred to Point Park from another school. "I encourage students to take advantage of these experiences whenever possible, as they can have a meaningful impact on both personal and professional development."
Werner, who enrolled in the education program her sophomore year, says it was one of the best decisions she has ever made. She said her classes are so interesting that she never dreads coming back to school from breaks.
"The professors are so helpful along the journey and make you feel confident even when you are starting to put yourself out there in more classrooms. Field experiences are so much more useful than a lecture, and I feel Point Park University really hones into that mindset. I love spending time in classrooms with students, and it has really helped me learn a lot."
She continued, "Seriously, I’ve bragged so much about it that so many people are jealous of the things I get to do in class, events I get to be a part of, and how kind my professors are."
DeVita echoed that sentiment: "Point Park has made me feel supported from day one, and I'm grateful to be part of such a strong educational community."