Our Community of Safe and Sound Schools
What are Safe and Sound Schools?
Safe and Sound Schools are elementary schools and early childhood programs that use the work of Emotionally Responsive Practice at Bank Street to inform their interactions, routines and curriculum. Safe and Sound Schools give all staff members in the preschool or elementary school building a deep understanding of child development and social and emotional foundations for learning, as well as supportive techniques for building an empathic school community where children feel safe and connected.
Who Can Become a Safe and Sound School?
Elementary Schools, Head Start Programs, and Child Care Centers who want to be connected to ERP at Bank Street, want an opportunity for ongoing professional development and support, and want to connect to other schools who use Emotionally Responsive Practice can join Our Community of Safe and Sound Schools.
In order to support the work, each program pays a membership fee for the school year.
The Basic Membership fee entitles schools to:
Send up to 4 staff members to the annual ERP Safe and Sound Schools Conference
Allow all early grades staff access to the
Online ERP Connections Group
Access quarterly Podcasts on social/emotional issues by ERP Director Lesley Koplow.
The Enhanced membership includes 2 onsite follow up visits
. All Safe and Sound Schools who want additional services can contract with ERP at Bank Street to provide onsite consultation, staff support, child focused group work or parent focused group work. NYC public schools can access our Promoting Safe and Supportive Schools requirements contract.
Our Safe and Sound School Community
is available to schools in New York City as well as schools across the country. Out of town members who come to NYC for the conference can stay an extra day to visit a school that practices ERP.
Why Safe and Sound Schools?
Research tells us that adverse childhood experiences are common across the income spectrum, and can heighten risk for physical and mental health problems as children grow up, in addition to creating social, emotional and learning issues while they are small. A safe, empathic, engaging school environment can act to diminish stress, nurture the developing brain and become a protective factor for the hundreds of children who attend each year.
How to Join Safe and Sound Schools for the 2015-16 School Year:
- Register your school. Click Here
- Pay membership fee.
- Receive a confirmation email. Look for another email in mid September with login information for participating in online group and connecting to podcasts.