About Us
Connected Beginnings Training Institute (CBTI) builds the capacity of infant and early childhood practitioners to engage in nurturing relationships with families and the very young children in their care through a variety of professional development opportunities.
As research has revealed, positive, supportive, enriching and nurturing relationships with adults and other children are critical to young children’s social and emotional well-being, mental health, evolving brain architecture and capacity to learn.
Connected Beginnings Training Institute was launched by the United Way of Massachusetts Bay/Merrimack Valley, Inc. in 2006, and partnered with Wheelock College from 2011-2018. CBTI became a program of the UMass Donahue Institute in 2019.
Recent News & Updates
- Addressing the social emotional work of restarting in the early education and care system
- COVID-19: A Message to Our Clients, Partners, Colleagues and Friends (UPDATED)
- BusinessWest: UMass Donahue Institute’s New Business Group Focuses on Social, Emotional Health
- Connected Beginnings Training Institute strengthens early childhood expertise
- Connecting with babies and their families…even when it’s hard
- Parents and early intervention professionals learn from each other