Bridgeport Early Childhood Social and Emotional Learning Initiative ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ________________ **Overview** This five-year (2018-2023), research-to-practice partnership between Yale University and local community stakeholders funded by the Tauck Family Foundation (https://tauckfamilyfoundation.org) was tasked with creating a community of practice by infusing SEL into the culture and infrastructure of the community and ensuring coordinated, equitable access to high-quality SEL programming and supports for early childhood educators, young children, and families of Bridgeport, CT. Led by the Initiative’s Steering Committee, BECSELI: - Provides access to RULER (https://rulerapproach.org) to all of Bridgeport’s center- and home-based childcare providers. - Strengthens and coordinates SEL programming between Bridgeport’s early childhood settings and Bridgeport Public Schools. - Uses SEL as a catalyst to share resources by creating and facilitating a community-wide professional development network of providers and stakeholders. Data were collected to evaluate whether BECSELI is making a difference in Bridgeport’s early care and education settings as well as in the lives of educators and leaders, including survey data collected from Bridgeport’s early childhood center- and home-based childcare staff. Data include indicators of school and classroom climate, efficacy, relationships, social and emotional skills, general indicators of wellbeing, and RULER implementation. Community partners for this project include All Our Kin, Alliance for Community Empowerment, Bridgeport Child Advocacy Coalition (Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership), Bridgeort Prospers, Bridgeport Public Schools, Bridgeport School Readiness Council, Bridgeport YMCA, Child First Greater Bridgeport, Cooperative Educational Services (CES), Early Childhood Laboratory School at Housatonic Community College, Partnership for Early Education Research/The Consultation Center at Yale (PEER/TCC), Skane School Consultation Center, United Way of Coastal Fairfield County.