Eliot Pearson Awards

The Eliot-Pearson Award for Excellence in Children’s Media is an award given bienially to honor outstanding contributions in the burgeoning field of children’s media. The award is co-sponsored by the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development and the Communications & Media Studies Program at Tufts University . In recognition of the fact that media plays a significant role in the lives of children, this award honors commitment to innovation, diversity, non-violence and developmentally appropriate media. The award is given to organizations, individuals or companies that have made important inroads in the world of children’s media.

The Award is affectionately known as an “Abby,” named after Abigail Adams Eliot, a woman who, along with Elizabeth Pearson, is credited with helping to establish the early childhood movement of the first part of the 20th century, when they established the Ruggles Street Nursery School in Boston to serve children living in poverty in 1922. This school, one of the first such training programs in the country, became affiliated with Tufts University and, in 1964, it was absorbed into Tufts and became the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study, now the Department of Child Development.

Though the first few years of the Abbys acknowledged only television shows, since television has been and remains the dominant form of media in the lives of American children, a veritable explosion of children’s media in different platforms led the nominating committee to expand the awards to different media categories. Therefore, in addition to television, which remains an important force in children’s lives, awards were also given in film, interactive media, media literacy and advocacy.

Selection Criteria

A faculty committee reviews nominations looking for media that demonstrate the following qualities:

  1. The media product must in some way demonstrate an understanding that children are developmentally at different stages
  2. The media product must demonstrate ethnic/racial diversity
  3. The media product must demonstrate positive, non-stereotypical images of gender
  4. The media product will in some way(s) model positive social interactions among children
  5. The media product will demonstrate peaceful resolutions to conflicts
  6. The media product will show a variety of models of friendships and family images
  7. The media product is educational and/or informational
  8. The media product will appeal to a cross-section of children
  9. The media product will contain enough “depth” so that parents will watch/listen/participate along with their children
  10. The media product is widely available to children
  11. The media product will be of a high production quality
  12. The media product will be entertaining/humorous on different levels so as to appeal to children of different age groups as well as parents.

Eliot Pearson Awards 2011

The 2011 Eliot Pearson Awards were given to Dr. Bill Cosby and Dr. Alvin Poussaint on February 25, 2011 at 10 a.m. in the Distler Performance Hall at Tufts University. The event was co-sponsored by the Tufts Communications and Media Studies Program and the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development.

Bill Cosby

Over the years, Bill Cosby’s comedy has delighted audiences of all different ages and cultures. Throughout his career he has been dedicated to making children’s media a vehicle for education and lessons about friendship, family, empathy and equity. Cosby has authored more than 10 books and is a frequent commentator on contemporary social issues.

Cosby’s career in children’s media began in the 1970s with his work on the Children’s Television Workshop show Electric Company, which used sketch comedy and other methods to teach reading skills. As part of an extensive audio discography, Cosby has produced two records exclusively for youth audiences, "The Electric Company" and "Bill Cosby Talks to Kids about Drugs", which both received Grammys.

His prior television work includes co-starring in I Spy, for which Cosby won three consecutive Emmys as "Outstanding Lead Actor” and was the first African American to costar on a television series. Cosby’s cartoons Cosby Kids and the Emmy award winning Fat Albert have also received praise for their educational content, entertaining storylines, and breaking down of racial barriers in entertainment.

Among other remarkable contributions to children’s media and education Cosby created and produced the Emmy awarding series Little Bill, based on his bestselling book series.

But perhaps Cosby is best known for The Cosby Show, the warmhearted series about an upper-middle class black family, which held the No. One spot for years in the Nielson ratings, is the third-longest running US comedy series with a primarily African-American cast, and won many Emmys, NAACP, Golden Globes and other awards. The show received widespread critical acclaim for it story lines, which cut across racial, ethnic and socioeconomic lines.

In addition to his writing and comedy Cosby is also esteemed for his philanthropy. He has received a Kennedy Center Honors Award (1998), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2002), the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (2009), and the Marian Anderson Award (2010).

Alvin Poussaint

Dr. Alvin Poussaint is a Professor of Psychiatry and Faculty Associate Dean for Student Affairs at Harvard Medical School. In awarding him the 2011 Eliot-Pearson Award, the nominating committee noted that Poussaint has combined his psychiatry background, work on race, gender and family relations, and passion for social justice into his advocacy for responsible programming in children’s media that is free of racial and gender stereotypes and promotes peaceful conflict resolution, cooperation and coping skills. Poussaint has published more than 100 articles and has authored several books

Poussaint served as Director of the Media Center at the Judge Baker Children’s Center from 1994-2010. He has also been active in the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, an organization dedicated to reducing the rampant commercialism to which children are exposed today. For his work as co-executive producer of Willoughby's Wonders, a PBS co-production modeling positive social interaction through the adventures of a co-ed urban soccer team, he received a New England Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Special.

Dr. Poussaint specializes in race relations and multiculturalism in America and is a leader in the field of media images, children and changing family dynamics. In addition to his psychiatry career and media advocacy, Dr. Poussaint served as a script consultant for The Cosby Show and [[A Different World (TV series)|A Different World]] and continues to consult various media outlets on responsible programming. He is a member of the Television and Media Committee of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Harvard Medical School. National Visionary Leadership Project.

Eliot Pearson Awards 2008

The 2008 Eliot Pearson Awards were held on March 28, 2008 at the Stevens Library in the Eliot Pearson building at Tufts University. The awards were given to Peggy Charren, Walden Media, Word Girl, and Scratch.

Peggy Charren

Peggy Charren was raised in New York City, then attended Hunter College High School and Connecticut College. In the 1960s, as the mother of two daughters, she became frustrated with the quality and variety of children’s television programming. She decided to make a difference, and created Action for Children's Television (ACT), a nonprofit organization devoted to improving children’s programs. With ACT, Ms. Charren aimed to decrease the number of commercials during youth programming and increase the quality of the programs. However, she adamantly opposed any approach that included censorship, and consistently advocated for free speech and parents’ choice. The organization lobbied the FCC and FTC to create legislation requiring broadcasters to produce quality children’s programs. The group eventually expanded to about 10,000 members, and Ms. Charren became the official ACT president in 1972. Ms. Charren’s work paid off in 1990 with the passage of the Children's Television Act, which set guidelines for commercial length and the content of children’s programming. By 1992, ACT disbanded because it had succeeded in effecting dramatic change in the regulations surrounding children’s television programming. However, Ms. Charren continued her work dedicated to improving children’s television through ongoing involvement as a director and advisor to the “Library of Congress, the Children’s Museum, the 20th Century Fund, the Center for Psychological Studies, the American Repertory Theater, the Carnegie Commission, the National Science Foundation, the National Women's Political Caucus, the New England Foundation for the Arts, the Massachusetts Civil Liberties Union, and National Video Resources.” In recognition of Ms. Charren’s efforts, in 1989, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences honored her with its Trustees Award. Ms. Charren later received the Peabody Award from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Annenberg Public Policy Center Award, and an Emmy Award.

Walden Media

Walden Media has made its mark as a producer of quality, educational and entertaining family-friendly films. Its goal is to “bring the kind of books we all love and admire to the screen.” By adapting books into movies the company introduces literary classics to children who might not otherwise read them without this encouragement. Walden Media goes far beyond producing films; in addition, they provide activity guides, DVDs, workshops, and seminars to give teachers the knowledge to use media as a learning tool in classrooms. Walden has collaborated with several book publishing companies, including the Penguin Young Readers Group. Walden currently works with Walden Pond Press, a collaboration with HarperCollins. This newest collaboration publishes humorous and readable stories for children and early teens. Walden also works with museums and national organizations to hold large-scale events that reinforce the idea of reading and learning as exciting. On December 13, 2006, a Walden Media event set a world record for “most people reading aloud simultaneously in multiple locations” when world-wide participants read E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web. The company has produced many successful films, including The Chronicles of Narnia series; Holes; Bridge to Terabithia; and Ramona and Beezus. In addition to its children’s films, Walden also produces non-children’s films through Bristol Bay Productions. The first film produced by Bristol Bay was Ray, a biographical film about the life of Ray Charles. The film starred Jamie Foxx, whose performance as the blues musician earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. 1990 Tufts graduate Cary Granat, the cofounder and CEO, was the president of Miramax Films Dimension Label and managed the development and production of MCA/Universal Films before starting Walden Media in 2001 with Micheal Flaherty, also a 1990 Tufts graduate. Flaherty, cofounder and president of Walden, created a program to help children from struggling school districts gain acceptance to exam schools in Boston. Granat left Walden Media in 2008, though Flaherty remains President.

WordGirl

'WordGirl is a PBS show created and produced by Dorothea Gillim and Jack Ferraiolo (also the Head Writer). Ms. Gillim worked with Soup2Nuts, a Boston-based production company that is a division of Scholastic Media. According to Ms. Gillim, “WordGirl hopes to enrich kids’ vocabulary, improve literacy, and hopefully instill a love of language along the way.” The show targets children ages 6 to 8, but its dialogue is sharp and witty. Wordgirl’s writers have worked for Family Guy and [The Onion]], which gives them the experience necessary to write a quick, funny script that draws in the attention of children and their parents. In addition, voiceovers include Wanda Sykes and other well-known adult actors, who give an edgy appeal to this unique PBS show. The show’s creator understands that the dialogue and content must attract children’s attention before it can teach them new vocabulary. The main character is Becky, an elementary school student who transforms into WordGirl, a superhero from Planet Lexicon, whenever people need help. The show’s villains are amusing characters, including Chuck the Evil Sandwich Making Guy and Tobey, a ten year old boy. Gillim started her career as a teacher at the Springside School for Girls and the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. She received a Masters in Education from Harvard. Dorothea Gillim is now the Executive Producer of Children’s Television at WGBH.

Scratch

Scratch is a new programming language to allow children and teens to make their own “interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art” and then share their work with others on the internet. The Scratch team is based at the MIT Media Lab and is headed by Mitchel Resnick, the director of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the lab. The program targets children ages 8 and up and aims to give them a way to use technology in a fun and creative manner. By demonstrating to children how important numbers are, Scratch encourages kids to learn new math skills so they can create increasingly complex programs. Resnick received a BS in physics from Princeton and a MS+PhD in computer science from MIT. He is the head of the Media Arts and Sciences academic program, director of the Okawa Center, and helped create Programmable Bricks (the foundation of LEGO MindStorms robotics construction kits). In addition, Resnick co-founded Computer Clubhouse, an international network that encourages underprivileged kids to engage creatively with technology.

Eliot-Pearson Awards 2006

The 2006 Eliot Pearson Awards were held on April 21st , and recipients included Arthur, Carol Greenwald, Executive Producer; Between the Lions, Judy Stoia, Executive Producer; Zoom, Kate Taylor, Executive Producer.

Carol Greenwald, Executive Producer, Arthur

Carol Greenwald was awarded the Eliot-Pearson Award for her role as Executive Producer And Co-creator of Arthur, which features the lives of Arthur the aardvark and his friends and family as they deal with the social issues that often face young children. The show also places an emphasis on the value of books, reading and learning and relationships with family and friends. Greenwald also served as Executive Producer of the Arthur spin-off entitled Postcards from Buster and Curious George. For her work on Arthur and Curious George, she has won four Emmys and a Peabody Award. Greenwald has also worked on a number of other children’s programs including Zoom, Between the Lions, and Peep and the Big Wide World. She is currently Senior Executive Producer of Children’s Programs at WGBH Boston.

Judy Stoia, Executive Producer, Between the Lions

Judy Stoia was awarded the Eliot-Pearson Award for her role as Executive Producer of Between the Lions, the highly-acclaimed PBS children’s series which has been awarded ten national Emmys and has twice received the Best Children’s Program by the Television Critics Association. Between the Lions aims to instill a love of reading and books in children ages 4-7. Stoia has worked for WGBH Boston as a radio and television reporter, where she delivered in-depth coverage of Boston’s court-ordered busing program. Her book The Hardest Lesson, on her experience reporting during those years, received a Chistoph Medal for non-fiction. She was also Executive Producer of The AIDS Quarterly with Peter Jennings and, among numerous other projects, has produced dramas for PBS and ABC. She has also worked as an Executive Producer at the ABC affiliate WCVB-TV. Throughout her career she has won multiple awards such as Emmys, Gabriels, Cine Golden Eagles, New York Film Festivals, Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards, and Peabodys.

Kate Taylor, Executive Producer, Zoom

Kate Taylor was awarded the Eliot-Pearson award for her role as Executive Producer of Zoom, which aired on PBS from 1999-2006 as a remake of the 1970s classic children’s show Taylor originally worked on as a segment producer. Zoom’s young cast played an active part in the show’s creation. Zoom centers around engineering, science and creativity. Taylor is a creator and producer at WGBH Boston where she specializes in producing children’s and youth educational programs focusing on the sciences. Currently, Taylor is the Executive Producer of FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman and Peep and the Big Wide World, which have won numerous awards, including Emmys. Taylor has also produced the Emmy award winning show Design Squad, Degrassi Junior High, and Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? She served as executive-in-charge for the first two seasons of Arthur.

Eliot Pearson Awards 2004

The 2004 Eliot Pearson Awards were held on April 16th at the Stevens Library at Eliot Pearson. Recipients included WGBH shows Dora the Explorer, Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, Executive Producers and Cathy Galeota, Producer; Maya and Miguel, Deborah Forte, Executive Producer; Nick News for Kids, Linda Ellerbee and Mark Lyons, Executive Producers.

Chris Gifford, Creator and Executive Producer, Dora the Explorer

Chris Gifford was awarded the Eliot-Pearson Award for his role as creator and executive producer of the hit Nickelodeon Nick Jr. preschool show Dora the Explorer, which portrays multiculturalism, non-stereotypical gender roles, curiosity and open-mindedness. Gifford is also the producer of Nick Jr.’s Go, Diego, Go! Gifford has written and composed music for Dora the Explorer stage shows and movies and Go, Diego, Go Live! The Great Jaguar Rescue. With Nickelodeon since 1989, Gifford has worked on multiple programs including Clarissa Explains It All and Family Double Dare. As Nick Jr.’s executive in charge of development and production, Gifford led the development of new programs such as Allegra's Window, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, The Busy World of Richard Scarry, and the first season of Gullah Gullah Island. Before Nickelodeon, Gifford worked for Children’s Television Workshop and was an educator, teaching speech and drama.

Valerie Walsh Valdes, Creator and Executive Producer, Dora the Explorer

Valerie Walsh Valdes was awarded the Eliot-Pearson Award for her role as creator and executive producer of the hit Nickelodeon Nick Jr. preschool show Dora the Explorer, the hit animated Nickelodeon show for preschoolers which features a bilingual seven year-old and teaches a new Spanish word to viewers each episode. The show portrays multiculturalism, non-stereotypical gender roles, curiosity and open-mindedness. Valdes is also the creator and Executive Producer of Go, Diego, Go!, also on Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr. programming for preschoolers. Valdes holds a Master’s in Film and Dramatic Writing and Education from NYU.

Cathy Galeota, Producer, Dora the Explorer

Cathy Galeota was awarded the Eliot-Pearson award for her work on the hit Nickelodeon Nick Jr. preschool show Dora the Explorer, which portrays multiculturalism, non-stereotypical gender roles through the adventures of a bilingual seven year old Latina girl, Dora, She also produces Nick Jr.’s Go, Diego, GO! Previously, Galeota worked on production management for The Nickellennium, a documentary created in 2000 that features youth around the globe from various cultures sharing their visions of life in the future. Prior to joining Nickelodeon, Galeota worked as a production manager for the Disney Channel. She graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1987.

Deborah Forte, Executive Producer, Maya and Miguel

Deborah Forte was awarded the Eliot-Pearson Award for her role as creator and Executive Producer of Maya and Miguel, a PBS Kids Go! show that premiered in 2004 and teaches lessons of multiculturalism to its elementary aged audience. Forte is the President of Scholastic Media and Executive Vice President of Scholastic Inc. In 1997 Forte created Scholastic Entertainment, an arm of Scholastic Media, aimed at generating children’s media and boosting literacy. Forte is also the producer of widely renowned children’s shows such as Clifford the Big Red Dog and The Magic School Bus. Forte has won more than 100 awards for her work, including Emmys and Oscars.

Linda Ellerbee, Executive Producer, Nick News for Kids

Linda Ellerbee was awarded the Eliot-Pearson Award for her role as Executive Producer of Nick News for Kids, a news program aimed at the ‘tween audience which exposes viewers to social, political and media issues. As Nick News writer and host, Ellerbee delivers weekly quality broadcasts on a wide range of issues to her young audience. Nick News is produced by Ellerbee’s production company, Lucky Duck Productions, which was founded in 1987 and is known for its outstanding work in children’s media. Lucky Duck Productions has received numerous awards for its excellence in children’s media, including a Peabody, Columbia-duPont Awards, the National Education Association, and the Parents Choice Awards. Ellerbee has had an extensive and very successful career in broadcast journalism, launching her career in the 1970s and 80s as she worked as NBC News Washington Correspondent and co-anchor of NBC News Overnight. She has also been a reporter for the Today show and Good Morning America as well as a commentator for CNN.

Mark Lyons, Producer, Nick News for Kids

Mark Lyons was awarded the Eliot-Pearson Award for his role as Producer of Nick News for Kids, a news program aimed at the ‘tween audience which exposes viewers to social, political and media issues. As Producer of Nick News with Linda Ellerbee, Mark Lyons has earned seven Emmys and a CableAce for his work with Lucky Duck Productions. Prior to joining Lucky Duck, Lyons worked as a producer for Lifetime and NBC. Lyons has also worked as Supervising Producer for a number of Lucky Duck projects at network stations.

Eliot Pearson Awards 2001

Craig Bartlett, Executive Producer of Hey Arnold!

Craig Bartlett was awarded the Eliot-Pearson Award for his role as the Executive Producer of the hit animated children’s series Hey Arnold!, which was piloted on Nickelodeon in 1994 and hit the air as a series in 1995. The show quickly soared to become Nickelodeon’s highest rated series and was praised by children’s media experts for its reflection of diversity, promotion of understanding and challenging of stereotypes. The show was on the air until 2001 and then went to theaters as Hey Arnold! The Movie in 2002. Bartlett is also known for his work writing for Rugrats, another hit Nickelodeon animated show. After leaving Nickelodeon Bartlett went on to work for Cartoon Network, BRC Imagination Arts, and The Jim Henson Company, where he created the show Jim Henson’s Dinosaur Train that was picked up and aired by PBS Kids.