Social and emotional skills enable children to learn from teachers, make friends, express thoughts and feelings and cope with frustration. These skills directly impact a child’s ability to engage in opportunities that build cognitive learning such as early literacy, numeracy and language skills. 

The Resilient Classroom program is a new social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum that equips classroom educators with the skills and understanding needed to promote a healthy, positive development for all children. Supported by an expert coach, educators complete six self-paced training modules covering topics such as educator resilience, understanding the brain, implementing SEL strategies into the early childhood classroom and addressing individual child concerns. Through scaffolded experiences, participants explore concepts, engage in structured skill-building activities and then apply their knowledge in their classroom.

The Resilient Classroom can be used with all groups in early education settings, from infants through pre-K. Most content is appropriate for implementation with multiple age levels. Module 4 has been split into two options (4a and 4b), in order to provide specified and developmentally appropriate content to infant and toddler teachers (4a) and preschool and pre-K teachers (4b).

The Resilient Classroom uses an explore, practice, apply instructional model that allows participants to uncover learning in a risk-free environment and apply learning to a real-life classroom. Online asynchronous learning allows for independent study through a series of micro lessons providing theoretical foundations of core concepts, which are then connected in a practical way through job-embedded learning.

Positive experiences can ease toxic stress and help children grow into more resilient, healthier adults. The Healthy Outcomes of Positive Experiences (HOPE) framework identifies ways that communities and organizations can better ensure that all children have more positive experiences. Learn more here. 

Devereux Early Childhood Assessments (DECA) are behavior rating scales that provide an assessment of protective factors central to social and emotional health and resilience in children. Collecting this data allows educators to gauge student progress in developing healthy relationships, regulating emotions and showing initiative. Learn more here: DECA Guide & DECA FAQs.

Any licensed, registered or regulated program serving children ages 0-5 in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Putnam counties is eligible to participate.

Yes, current grantees of ELI are eligible to participate in this program.

School leaders or directors can choose to have all or some of their educators participate.

Yes, eligible programs who have already participated in a previous cohort of the Resilient Classroom may have new teachers participate in this cohort.

Yes, an organization may have more than one location participating in this program.

Full participation takes an average of six months and includes: 

• In-person kickoff for program leadership 

• Pre-assessment in participating classrooms using the Deveraux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) 

• Completion of the Resilient Classroom modules 
• Post-assessment in participating classrooms using the Deveraux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) 

All participating programs must complete a program agreement prior to beginning. School leaders or directors are invited to participate in a kickoff session hosted by Early Learning Indiana.

To receive access to the Resilient Classroom platform, all participating educators in a program must collect child-level data using the Deveraux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) in participating classrooms via the online DECA platform (e-DECA) and share de-identified data with Early Learning Indiana for analysis, allowing us to evaluate the effectiveness of the training and continue to improve the program’s content to best support children. 

After completing all modules in the Resilient Classroom, all participating educators in a program must again collect and share de-identified data from their classrooms in order for the program to receive their $1,000 stipend.

Participating programs will receive: 

• Access to the Deveraux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA), allowing for child-level data collection for one year with support from a DECA representative 

• Access to the Resilient Classroom program, facilitated by Early Learning Indiana’s expert coach 

• In-person kickoff lunch with other educators participating in this cohort 

• New “Teacher Safe Space” kit including items to encourage educator wellness, resilience and regulation throughout the day 

• $1,000 per-site stipend, issued upon completion of the program

Yes, participating teachers will receive certificates for 15 professional development hours.

If you are an early childhood program in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Putnam counties, and would like to be considered for this exciting opportunity, please complete the interest form as soon as possible. Spots are limited.

For general questions about the Resilient Classroom, please email EducatorSolutions@earlylearningindiana.org.