LATROBE, PA – Thanks to collaborative efforts between the Saint Vincent College Education Department and the Fred Rogers Institute (FRI), graduate students and professionals in child- and youth-serving fields will soon be able to enhance their leadership skills through the Certificate in Values-Based Leadership program.
The 15-credit, graduate-level program is offered fully online and focuses on the leadership example of Fred Rogers, a Latrobe native, minister and beloved TV personality who created and hosted “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.”
“This mutually beneficial program allows the FRI to teach three of the courses, strengthening its instructional presence while giving our graduate students access to a deeply meaningful, one-of-a-kind learning experience grounded in Fred Rogers’ timeless principles,” said Dr. Tracy McNelly, chair of the Education Department housed in the College’s School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. “The certificate enriches our leadership programs by offering something distinctive, relevant and profoundly aligned with the mission of Saint Vincent College: preparing leaders who lead with integrity, humanity and a commitment to the common good.”
The Certificate in Values-Based Leadership program applies research-based principles in leadership and personal development while focusing on developing leaders who prioritize service, empathy and ethical leadership in their organizations and communities.
“The Fred Rogers Archive at Saint Vincent College provides us with insight and context into how Fred Rogers formed a media company in the very early days of television, held his values closely through decades of a public career and formed a team around him who made his powerful work possible,” said Emma Swift Lee, FRI director. “The Certificate in Values-Based Leadership will consider Fred Rogers and his work as one example of a type of leadership that is grounded in values and relies on connection and community to do excellent work. We look forward to engaging with professionals across all fields who are eager to grow in their leadership and ground in their values.”
The initiative was designed with a wide range of prospective students in mind, including those who are pursuing a master’s degree in education at Saint Vincent and those who want to advance their learning with a certificate.
Others include professionals with a bachelor’s degree or higher who wish to advance their professional learning; individuals in child-, youth- and family-serving fields who wish to enhance their leadership skills; professionals who have already earned an advanced degree and who wish to pursue a certificate; and school administrators, counselors and teachers aiming to enhance their ability to serve students, families and communities.
When McNelly first transitioned into the role of Education Department chair in summer 2024, one of her primary goals was to forge a stronger partnership with the FRI, noting their missions naturally complement one another.
“We both prioritize the well-being, dignity and development of children,” she said, “and strengthening this relationship offered tremendous potential for mutual benefit.”
“Early in our conversations, it became clear that the philosophy of Fred Rogers should not be an add-on to our teacher preparation programs; rather, it should be thoughtfully infused into the learning experiences of our candidates,” McNelly added. “To truly prepare educators who lead with compassion, humility and care, we recognized that students must understand not only what Fred Rogers taught, but how his philosophy can be meaningfully applied in today’s classrooms.”
This led the Education Department to embed FRI involvement directly into several courses, ensuring that graduates carry forward the relational, human-centered approach that Rogers championed. As the collaboration deepened at the undergraduate level, McNelly said Education Department faculty began looking toward its graduate programs. While the Department has long offered a Master of Science degree in educational leadership with an embedded certification, McNelly said faculty wanted to create a certificate pathway flexible enough for professionals who already held a master’s degree and for those who simply wanted the certification alone.
“In many ways, this certificate serves as a modern extension of Fred Rogers’ legacy,” McNelly said, “ensuring that the next generation of educators and administrators not only understand his philosophy but know how to live it through their daily interactions, decisions and leadership practices.”
The inaugural cohort will begin this summer with the first graduate course, Educational Leadership and Professional Development.
Additional information about the Certificate in Values-Based Leadership can be found on Saint Vincent College’s graduate programs webpage and the Fred Rogers Institute’s website.
To learn more about admission requirements, visit Saint Vincent College’s graduate admission webpage.
