Our History | Who We Serve | Our Approach | Our Staff | Our Supporters | Our Collaborators
Our approach is grounded in respect for educators. Building on the strengths they bring to their work with children and families, the Center for Early Childhood Professionals helps teachers and administrators implement research-based practices in child development and early learning and offers access to models and methods that raise professional competence. Bank Street's professional development services are job-embedded thereby connecting educational theory to the day-to-day work early childhood educators do with children and families. Our services are designed so that participants can, by increasing their knowledge and skills, implement and sustain effective strategies in their early childhood programs.
We use a collaborative approach, working with both individuals and small groups. Each participant is encouraged to establish specific goals and long-term action plans. Because learning is an experiential and social undertaking as well as an intellectual endeavor, our staff developers provide educators with frequent opportunities for peer to peer dialogue, collaborative inquiry, and the sharing of effective classroom practices.
Content is grounded in research on early childhood pedagogy, child development, and learning domains, including early intervention, family involvement, social and emotional development, early language and literacy development, mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, and social studies.