CMPoP was founded in June 2023 by Kaz Long & Sherri Hope Culver with the purpose of fostering a community of children’s media professionals in the Philadelphia region. Philly has a growing community of children’s media professionals, due to several production and animation houses, university programs, and the growth of virtual work. In addition to working locally, members also live in Philly and work for companies in New York, California, Virginia and abroad. As of 2026, we have almost 60 CMPoP members and our community continues to grow. If you’d like to be added to the list, please email Sherri directly.
We’ll get a special tour of the exhibit with the Chief Learning Office for the museum, Olivia Thomas. We’ll also learn about behind-the-scenes development of the exhibit with Ana Acosta Ruiz from Fred Rogers Productions (and a new Philly resident).
Date: Friday, September 11, 2026
Time: 9:30am-11:00am
Location: 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, 19131
Parking is available in a lot for a fee. There is also ample street parking.
There are also two SEPTA bus lines that stop at the museum.
Please RSVP directly to Sherri@Temple.Edu by September 7.
Past Meetings & Events
JUNE 18, 2026
CMPoP met at WHYY Public Media for a book presentation from Ryan Bunch. Ryan discussed his new publication; a chapter in the book, “Radical Children’s Film and Television” titled, “F is for Friends, G is for Gay: Bert, Ernie, and the Radical Potential of Childhood’s Queer Friendships”.
NOVEMBER 19, 2025
CMPoP hosted a meet-up at The Post on 30th Street, bringing Philly children’s media professionals together to reconnect, network, and share ongoing projects. Supported by the Children’s Media Association, the event helped strengthen momentum as CMPoP works toward becoming an official CMA chapter.
APRIL 4, 2025
CMPoP once again had the opportunity to attend the Children’s Media Career Symposium at Temple University welcomed children’s media industry leaders from the Philadelphia area to share insight and network with the Temple and CMPoP communities.
MARCH 21, 2025
CMPoP had the chance to visit Monkey Boys Production and met with co-founder Marc Petrosino and production manager Betsy Falk. It has become a leading studio for crafting puppets, props, creatures, costumes, practical effects, and live entertainment for film, TV, and stage productions.
DECEMBER 7, 2024
We co-presented the Philadelphia premiere of the web series, Stori Strong from filmmaker Laura Zaylea. Details about the series may be found here.
JUNE 7, 2024
Kathy Hirsh Pasek served as the guest speaker at the CMPoP’s meeting in June! Kathy is a professor of psychology at Temple University and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute. She is world renowned for her research exploring the intersection of children, education and play.
APRIL 4, 2024
The Children’s Media Career Symposium at Temple University welcomed children’s media industry leaders from the Philadelphia area to share insight and network with the Temple and CMPoP communities.
MARCH 15, 2024
CMPoP visited Mighty Picnic and met with the company’s founder, Dave Peth, and the production team.
NOVEMBER 1O, 2023
Big Howl Productions invited CMPoP to tour their studio in November. There, they met with Kevin Kelly and the Big Howl production team.
SEPTEMBER 22, 2023
CMPoP held an informal networking event to plan and discuss upcoming events at the OCF Cafe in Fairmount.
JULY 6, 2023
July 6th, 2023 was the first meeting for the networking group. The meeting was held at Green Eggs Cafe on Girard Avenue, kicking off the start of CMPoP.
Please contact Sherri Hope-Culver (sherri.hope.culver@temple.edu) if you would like to be added to the CMPoP listserv or have questions about CMPoP.
The CMIL is partnering with researchers from Australia Catholic University, Monash University, University of Melbourne, Western Sydney University, and the University of Edinburgh, on a research study titled, “Artificial Intelligence for the Early Years”…
On December 3rd, 2025, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., five students presented their capstone projects for the Certificate in Children’s Media in Tuttleman Hall, Room 305B. Eleanor Erdley, Cadence Webb, Kyle Lapsley, Delia Joyce, and Ollie Gomez each applied the skills...
During UNESCO’s Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week Feature Conference in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, CMIL Director Sherri Hope Culver participated in two sessions that highlighted global progress in media literacy, AI education, and youth-centered cinema. The event brought together leaders from around the world to explore how media and information literacy continues to evolve in an increasingly complex digital environment…
