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Teaching Empathy Institute (TEI) works to establish emotionally and physically safe learning communities for elementary, middle and high school students and the adults who work with them.
Teaching Empathy Institute, SEL, David Levine, Diversity, Mindfulness, Social and emotional learning, kingston, new york, kingston city schools, School of Belonging, culture building, Hudson Valley , Tides Center, resilience, Building classroom communities, Teaching Empathy, compassion, teaching,
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A classroom of students
A classroom of students
A Year of Belonging book by David Levine and Teaching Empathy Institute
A young boy in a classroom looking up at his teacher
A classroom of students
Empathy is Heart Skill
Teaching Empathy Institute

is a non-profit educational organization that creates comprehensive and enduring social culture-building processes that meet the emotional needs of staff and students. Our award winning resources and programs focus on creating a culture of emotional safety in which healthy relationships are key.

School of Belonging Badge Program
The School of Belonging Badge Program in Partnership with Lesley University

Designed for educational professionals who are passionate about developing a culture of caring and compassion in their schools and classrooms

A Year of Belonging
Immerse yourself in the enlightening process of belonging, connection, and self-expression

2019 Nautilus Award winner, 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards finalist and 2020 Best Book Awards finalist, A Year of Belonging is a collection of reflections and accompanying practices designed for all adults who are concerned about the social and emotional well-being of the young people in their schools and communities.

Creating School of Belonging
Creating Schools of Belonging

TEI's School of Belonging focuses on social culture building with teachers, mental health professionals, support staff, specialists, and leadership. It teaches strategies that create a sustainable culture of belonging so that students are able to achieve to their fullest potential socially, emotionally, and academically.

What we really liked...
"What we really liked about TEI...

...from an administrative lens is they came in and met us where we were at. They didn't come in and change what we were doing; they enhanced what we were doing."

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Creating Schools of Belonging

TEI’s signature initiative, School of Belongingis a comprehensive and enduring social culture-building process that highlights how critical it is to meet the emotional needs of staff and students. Working with school leaders, teachers, mental health professionals, para-professionals, students and parents, School of Belonging implementation focuses on creating a culture of emotional safety in which healthy relationships are key. Emphasizing life-skills development, students achieve to their fullest academically and socially while having the skills and perspective to manage emotions successfully during stressful and difficult times.

Who We Are

We are empathy educators well-versed in research on the emotional needs of children with deep experience creating positive school communities. We aim to meet schools where they are – with no judgment – and help them get to where they want to be through parallel learning experiences for students, teachers, school leaders, and parents. Our resources are easy to access in digital and print formats, and designed for practical infusion into daily classroom life.

Measuring Our Effectiveness

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TEI’s School of Belonging initiative was researched by Drs. Katherine Roberts and Laura Guerra, of Columbia University Teachers College, as part of a longitudinal study on the effects of a School of Belonging on school safety, peer relations, emotional wellness, and student perception of the school climate. A leadership academy was run with 4th grade students in the Hudson Valley of New York during the 2019-2020 school year. These students were provided with the social and emotional leadership skills necessary to prepare them as they entered middle school as 5th graders in the 2020-2021 school year.

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