A Division of Continuing Education

The Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street is committed to integrating preventive mental health practices into early childhood and early grade school programs so that young children experience school as a supportive, meaningful, learning environment. The Center provides a range of services to school communities that want to enhance children's emotional well being within the school building. This may include a series of staff development seminars, on-site classroom consultation services and ongoing groups for teachers in public schools (Pre K-5), Head Start Programs, child care centers and other early childhood and early grade settings interested in enhancing the emotional well-being of children, parents and staff.

The Center recognizes the well-documented connection between emotional wellness and learning potential, and helps schools to build on this connection by developing emotionally responsive school routines, curriculum, and adult-child interactions during the school day. The Center works intensively with collaborating school communities, often providing on-site support groups for teachers who work in stressful circumstances and advisement to principals concerned with the effects of school policy on the emotional well being of children, staff and parents.