The Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street works with schools, child care centers, and other programs to create supportive learning environments that nurture children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing. We help educators, administrators, and social workers understand children’s emotions and behaviors through child development and life experiences. This helps create safe, caring communities where kids can thrive. Our approach is unique because we also focus on the mental health of the adults who care for children, ensuring they are better equipped to meet children’s emotional needs.
About Our Founding Director
Lesley Koplow, GSE ’79, is a clinical social worker, educator, and author based in New York City. She founded the Center for Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street Graduate School and has written numerous books for educators, including Unsmiling Faces: How Preschools Can Heal and Creating Schools That Heal. Since 2020, she’s also written a series of children’s books focused on emotions and healing. After retiring in 2023, Lesley left behind a legacy of emotional care for children and educators in schools, childcare, and temporary housing. The Center continues her mission of creating nurturing, supportive spaces where children feel seen and valued.