C2K

You work hard every day to support Chicago’s kids. We’re here to support you.

Throughout the school year, the mental health consultants in our Connect to Kids (C2K) program work one-on-one with teachers, helping them gain insight into the underlying causes of their students’ disruptive behaviors and create positive, productive teacher/student relationships.

C2K supports teachers as they work with the kids in their care to build stronger, more socially and emotionally supportive classrooms.

How C2K Works

C2K consultants provide the kind of support teachers really need in the classroom:

  • A C2K consultant meets with the teacher once a week to touch base on classroom needs.
  • Together, they develop and put into action support plans for the students who need them.
  • Classroom observations help the C2K consultant learn and understand the class’s unique culture.
  • The teacher will complete midyear and end-of-year surveys forms to assess C2K’s impact.

C2K Classroom Groups

C2K consultants also lead Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Classroom Groups with topics including:

  • Community Building
  • Friendships & Relationships
  • Safe Touch and Personal Space
  • Kindness & Empathy
  • Self-Awareness & Self-Esteem

Interested in bringing C2K to your classroom?

For more information, contact Erin Vanden Brook, LCSW, Clinical Director of School-Based Services.

evbrook@jpachicago.org

Here's the difference we made for teachers in the 2023-2024 school year.

0 %

reported better student-teacher relationships

0 %

reported that C2K had a positive impact on their classroom environment

0 %

reported that C2K helped them better understand the social and emotional needs of their students

0 %

reported that C2K reduced job-related stress

What educators have to say...

As a new teacher who accepted a class at the end of the 3rd quarter, I found my weekly meetings with my C2K Consultant to be invaluable. Our discussions shaped my classroom management, helped me work through difficult situations between students, and relieved a great deal of the stress/mental burden I faced. I truly can't express enough how helpful and wonderful my consultant has been!

– C2K Teacher

My C2K Consultant helped me and my students learn how to be peacemakers. I was struggling to help my students solve their own problems. She taught four lessons on problem solving skills and how to be a peacemaker. The students are still using the skills learned and are continuing to work through their own problems with less intervention from me. I will use the material at the beginning of next year.

– C2K Teacher

I love the way this program is structured to support teachers. [My consultant]is phenomenal and I couldn't have asked to work with anyone better!

– C2K Teacher

I feel listened to, coached, and free to discuss certain things! It's such a breath of fresh air.

– C2K Teacher