Fred Rogers Productions teams up with The Mash-Up Americans for new kids podcast

Fred Rogers Productions, the nonprofit children’s media company built on a legacy of world-class storytelling, is partnering with The Mash-Up Americans, an award-winning media studio, to produce Young Neighbors, a brand-new non-fiction podcast that will feature stories of kids across America told through their own voices. Young Neighbors is the first original podcast from Fred Rogers Productions and will launch in 2027 with 12 full-length episodes and 12 mini episodes.

Designed for kids ages 8-11 and their families, Young Neighbors will blend field reporting and host-led conversations in a documentary-style, magazine format. Listeners will learn about kids’ everyday lives, feelings, families, and communities, told through their own funny, surprising, and relatable stories about what it’s like to be them in the neighborhoods where they live.

'Young Neighbors builds on Fred Rogers’ legacy of modeling kindness and curiosity with uplifting conversations, and audio is a beautiful medium for that', said Ellen Doherty, chief creative officer and executive producer, Fred Rogers Productions. 'We’re excited to partner with The Mash-Up Americans, who are passionate about producing stories that highlight community and belonging, to bring our first original podcast to life'.

'We want to highlight the joyful, everyday experiences of kids in different parts of the country. We’ll discover what they love, where they play, and how they feel', said Kristin DiQuollo, executive producer, Fred Rogers Productions. 'By hearing stories from kids in their own voices, and layering in textures and sounds of their neighborhoods, we hope to spark wonder about what it’s like to live somewhere else and to celebrate the things we have in common with each other'.

'It is a dream to be working with Fred Rogers Productions on Young Neighbors. The Fred Rogers Productions ethos of elevating curiosity, humanity, kindness, and empathy through storytelling reflects our shared vision for this community and country as a whole. It’s an absolute delight to get to hear the stories of kids from across the country', said Rebecca Lehrer, CEO, The Mash-Up Americans.

'The central question of Young Neighbors aligns with the central question of The Mash-Up Americans: What’s it like to be an American? We are lifelong storytellers and insatiably curious about America. All of our work hinges on the idea that stories change lives. And we know that one of the keys to unlocking our imaginations is seeing the world through a kid’s eyes, which provides awe in abundance', said Amy S. Choi, editorial director, The Mash-Up Americans.

The Young Neighbors podcast is made possible with support from Lilly Endowment Inc.