Eliot-Pearson Awards
The Eliot-Pearson Award for Excellence in Children’s Media is an award given biennially to honor outstanding contributions in the field of children’s media. The award is given by the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development[1] and the Film and Media Studies Program at Tufts University[2] at Tufts University.[3] The award is given to organizations, individuals, or companies that have made important inroads in the world of children’s media.
The Award is 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 became affiliated with Tufts University and, in 1964, became the Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study.
Award Selection Criteria
- The media product must in some way demonstrate an understanding that children are developmentally at different stages
- The media product must demonstrate ethnic/racial diversity
- The media product must demonstrate positive, non-stereotypical images of gender
- The media product will in some way(s) model positive social interactions among children
- The media product will demonstrate peaceful resolutions to conflicts
- The media product will show a variety of models of friendships and family images
- The media product is educational and/or informational
- The media product will appeal to a cross-section of children
- The media product will contain enough “depth” so that parents will watch/listen/participate along with their children
- The media product is widely available to children
- The media product will be of a high production quality
- The media product will be entertaining/humorous on different levels so as to appeal to children of different age groups and parents, as well
Eliot-Pearson Awards 2014
- Sesame Street, a long-running American children's television series created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett
Eliot-Pearson Awards 2012
- Levar Burton, actor, director, producer, author and former host of Reading Rainbow
Eliot-Pearson Awards 2011
- Alvin Poussaint, author and child psychiatrist
Eliot-Pearson Awards 2008
- Peggy Charren, Founder, Action for Children’s Television
- Micheal Flaherty, President, Walden Media
- Dorothea Gillim, Executive Producer, WordGirl
- Mitchell Resnick, Creator, “Scratch” software
Eliot-Pearson Awards 2006
- Carol Greenwald, Executive Producer, Arthur
- Judy Stoia, Executive Producer, Between the Lions
- Kate Taylor, Executive Producer, Zoom
Eliot-Pearson Awards 2004
- Chris Gifford, Creator and Executive Producer, Dora the Explorer
- Valerie Walsh Valdes, Creator and Executive Producer, Dora the Explorer
- Cathy Galeota, Producer, Dora the Explorer
- Deborah Forte, Executive Producer, Maya and Miguel
- Linda Ellerbee, Executive Producer, Nick News
- Mark Lyons, Producer, Nick News
Eliot-Pearson Awards 2001
- Craig Bartlett, Executive Producer of Hey Arnold!