Early Educators for Thriving Children

VOCEL selected as a Chicago Design Challenge finalist in partnership with A Better Chicago.

VOCEL has been awarded a planning grant from A Better Chicago’s Chicago Design Challenge to launch the Early Educators for Thriving Children Fellowship, a new program aimed at Chicago Public Schools early childhood educators that builds on the success of our Building Early Learning Leaders (BELL) model for principals. Following a successful planning process this summer, VOCEL stands to receive a large multi-year grant from A Better Chicago to begin executing the fellowship this fall.

The fellowship seeks to build early childhood teachers’ knowledge, confidence, and reflective practices to address learning recovery through social-emotional growth and learning rooted in classroom-embedded mental health supports, family engagement, and developmentally appropriate practices. Like our programs to support parents, caregivers, and school leaders, the Early Educators for Thriving Children Fellowship will leverage VOCEL’s expertise in early childhood development, the existing knowledge and strengths of participants, and the power of community.

This major program expansion will help VOCEL live into our vision of supporting the adults who most impact young children, including parents, caregivers, school leaders, and teachers.