Introducing: The Number Crunchers

We’re excited to be working with two Pittsburgh educational institutions on this new media project that we expect to launch with three 5-6 minute animated webisodes. Media Arts and Animation students from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh have been hard at work developing the animated characters and preschool environment for The Number Crunchers, while vocal and instrumental music students from the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts are lending their voices and talent to bring to life the characters and music for the animated web series.

Jack Rowley, The Fred Rogers Company New Media Developer, is the creator of this project. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to have the creative input from the talented students we’re working with at these two institutions. This collaborative effort has given us an innovative way to explore taking some elements of Fred Rogers’ approach into a new arena of today’s media.”  

As homage to Fred Rogers and one of Jack’s favorite parts of the Neighborhood series, one of the first webisodes is a mini-opera about the number two called “The Two-Penny Opera.”

With The Number Crunchers we’re combining children’s natural fascination with construction vehicles, age-appropriate math concepts including math "big ideas" and social-emotional development.