Our mission as a nonprofit is to help students grow as readers, writers, and thinkers while they develop the social and emotional skills necessary to thrive. Founded in 1980, Center for the Collaborative Classroom conducted seminal research on social development. Collaborative Classroom has evolved into a partner for schools and districts that is dedicated to transforming the school experience, developing students, and empowering teachers as they engage students. You can review published articles here.

We believe that how we teach matters as much as what we teach. Our programs and carefully selected trade books help children appreciate the ideas and opinions of others, learn to agree and disagree respectfully, think critically about big ideas, and become responsible citizens of the world. Our unique pedagogy is the foundation for our programs:

• We build on the fact that children are naturally curious, and need ample opportunities to be active, collaborative, and reflective in their learning process.
• The social and emotional and academic curricula are equivalent, essential, and interdependent.
• We use an approach that starts with the student experience and is focused on letting students do the thinking.
• The teacher is a facilitator.

Our core beliefs are:

• Relationships are fundamental. A child’s sense of community is essential to healthy development and academic growth.
• Students come to school intrinsically motivated to learn. Motivation is essential for engagement.
• Literacy and a sense of connectedness are two foundational elements upon which all other learning builds.
• The quality of teaching matters.

Our work has been implemented in more than 200,000 classrooms across the country, raising student grades and test scores, reducing problem behaviors, and bolstering student and teacher engagement. District partners and independent researchers have documented and assessed the changes our work has produced through quantitative analysis and anecdotes. The following document considers how our programs impact a sense of community and social development, student achievement, and teacher effectiveness. Download the study here.