August, 2022 - Fred Rogers Productions

Tell us about yourself and how your career led you to working in game design.

My preparation for working in game design started at birth. Whether it was playing card games—like Spades and Russian Rummy—at family gatherings or my brothers and I battling it out in Mario Kart 64 upstairs in the den, games were a constant in my childhood. However, the chief training I received to be a game designer came from my oldest brother, Scott. He fell in love with video games and board games, and he passed that love on to me. And he didn't only love playing games, he loved dissecting them and discerning what made them work. Whenever Scott and I were together we were talking about games and dreaming about making them ourselves. By the time I went to college, it seemed natural that I would study computer science with the goal of making game design a career.

What was your favorite TV show when you were growing up?

I watched some really dumb TV shows growing up, but two shows that I think were actually great were Batman: The Animated Series and The Adventures of Pete & Pete. Both, in different ways, respected kids, trusting that they understand more than they are frequently given credit for and never speaking down to them.

Batman, despite being about superheroes, featured multidimensional characters and trusted kids to understand that evil isn't always cartoonish and that knowing and doing what is good isn't always easy.

Pete & Pete felt like it was written by children (though very intelligent children) in that it took things that kids loved and found funny and let those scenarios play out to their ridiculous end. It was frequently a bizarre show, but kids are delightfully bizarre too, and Pete & Pete relished in this.

What goes into your role in the creation of digital content for Alma’s Way?

My role at Makefully is two-fold. For each project, I'm involved in both the ideation and creation processes.

So, for something like "The Alma Train," the first step is determining what we are going to make. Fred Rogers Productions gives us a theme ("subway trains" in this case), and from there, the Makefully team and I figure out what a game about trains could be in Alma's world. To do this well, we consider the themes and goals of the show, the characters in Alma's Way and the roles they might play in the game, the audience for the game, and ask questions like “What do kids love about trains and how would they want to play with them?” This whole ideation process is messy and involves a lot of trust within Makefully and between Makefully and Fred Rogers Productions as we wade through a wide range of ideas so that we can eventually get to the great ones.

Once an idea is settled on, my role changes and suddenly, as a programmer, I get to bring the idea to life. Sometimes this leaves me cursing myself as I run into hurdles, I've created for myself; but there's also a lot of joy in being able to bring to life what previously only lived in imagination!

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

In the last couple of years, I've fallen in love with gardening! I come by my interest naturally through my father who, when I was growing up, always made sure the yard around our house was beautiful. I've always enjoyed painting and drawing and in some ways, gardening seems like a natural extension of that, except the canvas is alive and must be cared for and nurtured. In return, it surprises you with unexpected beauty.

I'm still an amateur gardener at best, and my wife has been very patient with me as I've learned, particularly when I show up with new plants from the nursery without thinking ahead about where they might go in the yard. If I ever impoverish my family, it'll be because I needed "just one more" hydrangea.

Pittsburgh, PA, August 2, 2022 – Alma’s Way, the newest animated hit series from Fred Rogers Productions, the award-winning children’s media organization behind multiple Emmy^®Award-winning series, has been greenlit for a second season on PBS KIDS. The upcoming season of the show, created by Sonia Manzano (“Maria” on Sesame Street) and produced in association with Pipeline Studios (Elinor Wonders Why), is slated to premiere in fall 2023 and will consist of 25 half-hour episodes, including two 30-minute specials.

Focusing on critical thinking, self-awareness, responsible decision-making, and empathy, Alma’s Way is aimed at viewers 4-6 and follows 6-year-old Alma Rivera, a proud, confident Puerto Rican girl who lives in the Bronx with her parents; younger brother, Junior; and Abuelo as well as a diverse group of close-knit and loving friends, family, and community members. The series showcases Latino cultures through music, food, language, and more. All episodes are available in both English and Spanish.

“We’re thrilled that audiences have so warmly embraced Alma’s Way and will soon get to tag along on new adventures with Alma as she continues to think things through alongside her friends and family in the Bronx,” said Ellen Doherty, chief creative officer at Fred Rogers Productions and an executive producer of the series. “The show’s focus on critical thinking and community has resonated strongly with viewers universally, and the new season will provide them with an even more expansive look at Alma’s world.”

"Alma’s Way suggests to children that the process of thinking is exhilarating, joyous, and fun,” said Sonia Manzano, executive producer and series creator. “I’m delighted that my relationship with PBS KIDS and Fred Rogers Productions will continue as we bring another season of Alma’s Way to life.”

“Families across the country are telling us that Alma’s Way’s curriculum, music, and focus on community truly resonates with them, and is making an impact in their children’s lives. We’re excited to bring another season to PBS KIDS,” said Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager, PBS KIDS.

Season 2 of the critically acclaimed series will introduce audiences to a range of diverse, new characters and present stories that deepen their relationship with those they already know and love, including Alma’s Uncle Nestor, little brother Junior, and her Granny Isa (voiced by Manzano). The new season will also take viewers to more New York City cultural landmarks. Music, a key component of the series, will be prominently featured in one of the upcoming specials.

The new season also sees the promotion of two key staffers. Head Writer Jorge Aguirre (Goldie & Bear) has been promoted to co-executive producer. Dana Chan, former junior story editor, has been promoted to story editor.

Alma’s Way premiered in October 2021 to critical acclaim and recognition among a variety of audiences. Since its debut, the series has been noted as a Selection for Families by Common Sense Media, the leading source of entertainment and technology recommendations for families and schools. It has also been selected as the recipient of the Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award by The American Library Association Youth Media Awards, an award given to a producer that has created distinguished digital media for an early learning audience. Alma’s Way has ranked in the top ten PBS KIDS series in streaming video every month since its launch.*

Additionally, children can continue to learn and play with Alma through the PBS KIDS Games app and on pbskids.org/almasway. “Bop or Pop!/¡Bop, no Pop!,” an action-puzzle game that helps kids practice their problem-solving skills, and “Party at Alma’s/Fiesta con Alma,” a game in which players use social awareness skills to help make the party fun for everyone, launched in 2021. Between October 2021 and May 2022, both games combined have been played more than 18 million times on the PBS KIDS games app and pbskids.org.** Two additional games supporting the learning goals of the series will debut in 2022. Like episodes of Alma’s Way, all digital content is available to view and play in both English and Spanish.

Scholastic serves as the worldwide master publishing partner for Alma’s Way with a multi-year agreement including a range of readers and activity books in both English and Spanish, which will begin publishing in spring 2023. Brand Central is the licensing agent for the series and will develop a full-scale licensing program that reflects the show’s fun, educational, and cultural themes.

Alma’s Way is created by Sonia Manzano, best known to generations of kids and families as “Maria” on Sesame Street, and produced by Fred Rogers Productions in association with Pipeline Studios. Ellen Doherty and Manzano are executive producers. Aguirre is head writer and co-executive producer. Co-executive producers are Luis Lopez and Juan Lopez. Supervising producer for Fred Rogers Productions is Olubunmi Mia Olufemi.

* Digital Sources: comScore visitors and Google Analytics streams, Selected months 2020-2021, 2021-2022

** Digital Sources: Google Analytics, October 2021 to July 2022.

About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS believes the world is full of possibilities, and so is every child. As the number one educational media brand for kids, PBS KIDS helps children ages 2-8 learn lessons that last a lifetime. Through media and community-based programs, PBS KIDS wants children to see themselves uniquely reflected and celebrated in lovable, diverse characters who serve as positive role models, and to explore their feelings and discover new adventures along the way. Families can stream PBS KIDS for free anytime, no subscription required. A large collection of mobile apps and pbskids.org provide accessible content that spark kids’ curiosity. PBS KIDS and local stations across the country support the entire ecosystem in which children learn and grow – including their teachers and caregivers, parents, and community – providing resources accessible anytime and anywhere. For more information, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Fred Rogers Productions

Fred Rogers Productions was founded by Fred Rogers in 1971 as the non-profit producer of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood for PBS. In the years that followed, it created hundreds of episodes of this much-loved program and extended Fred’s values and approach to other efforts in promoting children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health while supporting parents, caregivers, teachers, and other professionals in their work with children. Fred Rogers Productions continues to build on Fred’s legacy in innovative ways through a wide variety of media and engages new generations of children and families with his timeless wisdom. The company’s highly rated children’s series, including Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Peg + Cat, Odd Squad, and Through the Woods, have earned 30 Emmy^® Awards among other important honors. Newly launched in 2021 on PBS KIDS is Donkey Hodie, the innovative puppet series inspired by characters from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood; and most recently Alma’s Way, an animated series created by Sonia Manzano, known to generations of children and adults as “Maria” on Sesame Street. For more information, visit www.fredrogers.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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Press contacts:

Grand Communications (for Fred Rogers Productions)

Alison Grand

212-584-1133; Alison@grandcommunications.com

Laura Liebeck

845-440-7974; Laura@grandcommunications.com