News

Housman Institute, Ellis Early Learning partner

by Ellis Early Learning
Thursday Dec 1, 2022

To center emotional intelligence in early childhood ed

BOSTON (Nov. 16, 2022) — Recognizing that emotional competence is foundational to learning, Ellis Early Learning today announced that it has partnered with Housman Institute to implement the begin to ECSEL (Emotional, Cognitive and Social Early Learning) Educator Training Program in the Ellis community. Ellis will be the Lab School for Housman Institute, where the efficacy of the program and impact on emotional regulation and learning outcomes will be continuously reviewed and supported.

The program will embed professional development intended to support and strengthen the emotional intelligence skills of caregivers — not just for their own mental health, well-being and job satisfaction, but so that they can model, teach and foster these same skills in children.

"Effective social emotional learning is critical to positive outcomes in early childhood and beyond," said Lauren Cook, CEO of Ellis Early Learning. "We are excited to partner with Housman Institute to place emotional understanding and regulation at the center of our community. In doing so, we are laying the foundation of emotional intelligence so that optimal learning can occur."

This partnership will serve as a model for the nation on what is optimal for providing a strong foundation for children's mental health, well-being and learning during the critical years of children's brain development. Numerous reports show increased learning loss, developmental delays and behavioral concerns since the start of the pandemic.

"It's now more important than ever that we support our youngest children, when their brains are most malleable, and educators as they face unprecedented stresses," said Dr. Donna Housman, Founder of Housman Institute. "Our youth are in the midst of a mental health crisis. By making social-emotional learning central to overall learning, we can improve educators' and children's mental health, as well as academic outcomes."

Peer-reviewed research demonstrates the efficacy of the begin to ECSEL program in promoting children's mental health and learning by using everyday emotional situations to teach young children and caregivers appropriate strategies for managing feelings, behavior, and thinking.