Blossoming Through Belonging

Now, as a school leader, I find myself grappling with what we can do to help all of our students feel a sense of belonging and couple that with a strong sense of self. I know, from personal experience as well as a growing body of research that a strong sense of belonging and connection to school strengthens positive academic outcomes and has been linked to health benefits into adulthood. So, we must create opportunities for students, from a very early age, to “see themselves” and to feel “at home” in their schools. 

I believe it is imperative to listen with great care and encourage those closest to students and those with shared experiences to bring ideas forward. At High Meadows about three years ago, we started affinity group meetings for faculty and staff who identify as POC, BIPOC, or more specifically, Black/African American, Asian or Pacific Islander, Latine/Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian, or coming from international descent. 

Following the success of that initiative and at the encouragement of the adults involved in our adult affinity group, we launched 2Gather: Embracing our Unique Identities, an affinity group designed for students who share a common identity regarding race or heritage. I am grateful to the HMS faculty and staff for noticing a potential need in our students and creating a new program to address this need—the very core of our students’ identities and confidence can be bolstered when they feel they belong. 2Gather also helps us honor our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice and our mission of "embracing diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives."
 
The NAIS article Identity, Affinity, Reality demonstrates the importance of belonging and that students often develop more comfort in asking questions and sharing concerns about identity in the comfort of an affinity group among people with like identities. Affirming racial and ethnic identities in positive ways is key to developing self-worth. Students in 2Gather meet with other students from their grade level and participate in age-appropriate discussions and interactive experiences geared toward a better understanding of themselves and others. A sense of belonging is core to development for all of us. This is just one way that we can support our students at High Meadows to emerge as ethical leaders who can find joy and purpose in our ever-changing world.