- Overview of Resources
- Physical and Psychological Safety Resources
- Supportive Relationships Resources
- Opportunities to Belong Resources
- Positive Social Norms Resources
- Appropriate Structure Resources
- Support for Efficacy and Mattering Resources
- Opportunities for Skill Building Resources
- Integration of Family, School, and Community Efforts Resources
- Printable Resources
A good overview of the concepts, research, theories, etc. regarding Opportunities to Belong can be found in REACH's Positive Youth Development modules.
Why is this important?
Resource 1: Social Inclusion
The need for social connection is innate. Although, feelings of belonging matter for humans throughout our entire lifespan, they are particularly salient for young people as they negotiate new peer groups and relationships, form new social ties and find their fit within social groups. Supporting youth in feeling accepted and valued as a member of the youth program is linked with a greater sense of social responsibility, engaging in healthy behaviors, and avoiding unhealthy behaviors.
This video provides an overview on how social belonging relates to academic, health and other life outcomes for youth. It also describes some strategies to ensure greater inclusion and a supportive environment for youth.
Managers and Staff could:
- Learn how feelings of belonging relate to youth identity
- Identify how environment, people, experiences, and time can be used to foster feelings of belonging
- Learn strategies to foster feelings of belonging through activities like normalizing belonging uncertainties and struggle stories
Resource 2: Social-Emotional Learning
Better social and emotional skills help youth to get along with other youth and adults and can be developed through social-emotional learning (SEL). SEL is the process through which individuals can understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions. Youth that possess strong social and emotional skills have a greater likelihood for positive engagement and learning.
The short video and web link explains SEL and its core competencies for developing skills that are critical for future success.
Managers and Staff could:
- Expand their understanding of core competencies that constitute social-emotional skills
- Learn practical tips to apply the social-emotional skills in their ongoing youth program
- Understand how these skills impact academic achievement and classroom behaviors, community engagements and overall emotional growth of the youth
Social-Emotional Learning: What is SEL and Why SEL Matters (Video clip, Committee for Children)
How can I help my staff in this area?
Resource 1: Developing a Sense of Belonging
A sense of belonging or fitting in is one of the most pronounced developmental needs of adolescent youth. When the youth program promotes inclusion, connections among youth and adults are strengthened, leading to positive youth outcomes.
This webinar presentation discusses five essential conversations, which are possibility, ownership, dissent, commitment, and gifts. These conversations are instrumental for belonging, ownership and engagement.
Managers could:
- Motivate youth to share ideas during meetings and encourage each other
- Use recommendations from the webinar to evaluate their youth program
- Brainstorm with youth regarding their understanding of inclusion and exclusion within the program settings
Resource 2: Developing a Sense of Belonging
By creating an environment that fosters belonging, youth can easier build connections with other peers and staff. The supplement to having a sense of belonging is engaging with others to build connections.
This website contains 10 community building activities along with videos to help illustrate how activities should be completed. Each video and activity is labeled with the set age group intended for the activity.
Managers and Staff could:
- Have youth complete the activity appropriate to their age range
- Have youth reflect on what they learned after completing the activity
Edutopia: 10 Powerful Community Building Ideas
Resource 3: Fostering Connections
Feeling connected with peers and adults can positively affect youth's mental health and academic skills; therefore, it is important to create a physically and emotionally safe space where such connections can occur.
This article describes how youth program staff can play a key role in increasing a sense of belonging by discussing important topics, helping youth understand the impact they have on others, and creating shared set of ground rules.
Managers could:
- Facilitate group discussions around topics such as what membership to the program means to them and how youth can help create a more inclusive environment
- Create an emotionally safe space by having open conversations about microaggressions (indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group) and how they can be redirected
- Conduct regular team building activities to strengthen relations among participants of youth program
Essential elements of 4-H: Belonging (Article, MSU Extension 4-H Life Skills)
How can my staff help youth in this area?
Resource 1: Introduction Icebreakers
Icebreakers help familiarize youth with each other and create a relaxed atmosphere that can facilitate greater engagement in activities. With icebreakers, staff can encourage youth to take appropriate risks and practice new skills in a safe environment.
The following article is a guide for youth program staff in structuring and implementing icebreakers for successful group interactions. Some examples of introduction type icebreakers can help youth program staff design their own activities.
Staff could:
- Discuss acceptable and unacceptable behavior with participants
- Choose icebreaker activities according to group size and practicality
- Conduct these activities after ensuring that participants see the youth program to be a safe space
Icebreakers creating a safe environment (Article, MSU Extension)
Resource 2: Building Empathy
Cultivating empathy in youth programs helps to develop feelings of inclusion and promote diversity. Providing an environment where youth are empathetic towards the needs of other participants makes the youth feel that they belong.
This resource is a booklet consisting of 11 age-specific activities to cultivate youth's empathy skills that will help foster a sense of belonging with other participants and youth program staff.
Staff could:
- Understand different ways through which empathy can be cultivated
- Modify these activities with youth
- Encourage youth to self-assess any change in their empathetic outlook after participating in these activities
Empathy in Your Classroom (Booklet, Teachers Guild)
Resource 3: Encouraging Participation
Engaging youth in their own development promotes a sense of belonging and is strongly linked with youth's participation and retention in youth programs. Participation is also associated with youth empowerment, which supports positive youth development and leads to outcomes like increased social skills and decreased violent behavior.
This research study examined the difference between 4-H and non 4-H programs in terms of belonging and inclusion. The results found that participants in the 4-H program had a greater sense of belonging and inclusion, as compared to non 4-H program participants and as the degree of 4-H participation increases, the members reported a greater sense of belonging and inclusion.
Staff could:
- Encourage youth to stay enrolled within the program and provide opportunities to participate actively
- Conduct regular activities that promote a sense of belonging to the program and group members
- Allocate activities to youth on the basis of their duration of membership to the program
Quality 4-H Youth Development Program: Belonging (Article, Journal of Extension)