7 Ways

to Foster Students' Sense of Belonging

and Improve Mental Health
7 Ways to Foster Students' Sense of
Belonging and Improve Mental Health

When we think about what students need to be successful in school, we often think about strong teachers,
parental involvement, and resources such as technology. Yet there is another factor that is equally important:
a sense of belonging. Research shows that students need to feel connected and welcome in school in order
to be engaged and to thrive.
It may seem natural that students would connect with like-minded
peers and at least some adults in schools but many students are
reporting they don’t. In one survey, a little more than half of high school
students said they were comfortable being themselves in school, and
less than one-third felt comfortable talking to a teacher about a
personal issue. In a nationwide survey of over 20,000 high schoolers,
a majority of students felt negatively about school, and said they spent
most of their school days feeling “tired,” “stressed,” or “bored.”
This data speaks to a sense of alienation among students that
undermines their mental health as well as their academic
achievement. In 2021, more than 4 in 10 students reported feeling
persistent sadness or hopelessness, and a third experienced poor
mental health, according to a survey published by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.
Add that to the fact that most public schools have reported a negative impact of the pandemic on the
socio-emotional development of students, and there’s a serious challenge for educators trying to get students
back on track. The lack of school counselors and other support staff such as social workers make these
issues even more difficult to address.
But boosting students’ sense of belonging can make a real
difference. When students genuinely feel they belong at
school, they are more likely to be engaged and motivated,
which contributes to their academic success, according to
the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
They learn and retain more information and are more likely
to commit to graduating. Students who feel they belong are
also more likely to experience both positive physical and
emotional health.
The good news is both research and experience reveal there
are effective strategies that schools and educators can
explore to make belonging the norm for students.

Learn more at 7mindsets.com

7 Ways to Foster Students' Sense of
Belonging and Improve Mental Health

1. Get to Know Every Student

Beyond learning each student’s name, teachers can make ongoing efforts to learn about students’ lives
outside of school. At the beginning or end of each class, they can play a game or pose a question that gets
students to open up about their favorite singer or tv show or some other fun fact. These activities can
provide teachers with details they can use to build deeper relationships with their students. Teachers can
also take these opportunities to share a bit about themselves.

2. Connect Community to School

Students may be more likely to feel they belong and engage in their learning if lessons include
representations of their community or culture. To amplify lesson plans, teachers can bring in relevant
speakers from the community, for example, or tie lessons to local news stories to pique student interest.
This approach creates opportunities for students to make connections to the community themselves.

3. Tap into Student Passions

What are students talking about? What are their favorite activities outside school? In one school, a science teacher
incorporated student fascination with sneakers to get them to design shoes that could be worn on a mission
to Mars. In another example, a geography teacher took the lead from a student who excelled at an online
geography game to get students competing with each other and also learning about places all over the world.

4. Establish a Wellness Center

A student wellness center can provide a space for youth to get a break when they are feeling disconnected
from school or overwhelmed. It’s a positive alternative for students who otherwise would seek down time
roaming in the halls, sneaking away to meet friends in the bathroom, or visiting the school nurse. A wellness
center could be a designated room with comfortable seats and pillows, calm lighting and colors, maybe even
simple games for students to practice mindfulness. With teacher permission, students could visit the
Wellness Center to relax and regroup before returning to class.

To create a wellness center, administrators would need to raise funds,

rally the support of the school community and parents, and hire or
designate a wellness coordinator such as a social worker or behavioral
therapist. They should also involve students in the planning and
consider how to destigmatize the center to encourage participation.
To pay for the center and staff, schools could try to fundraise through
the PTO, apply for a grant, or contact organizations like The IM
Foundation, which is helping to fund wellness centers at schools.

Learn more at 7mindsets.com

5. Let School Spaces Reflect Students
Teachers usually decorate their classrooms and halls before the school year starts, but they could also invite
students to be a part of the process during the year. They could ask students to participate in a youth
advisory board, for example, to make suggestions about how to reflect students’ cultures on walls,
bookshelves, billboards, or digital displays. Student art, self-portraits, or cultural posters could adorn the
school and make students feel more at home.

6. Support Educator and Staff Well-Being

To assist in helping build students’ sense of belonging, teachers benefit from their own well-being training. If
schools don’t already have an adult-specific well-being program, they should consider adding it to teacher and
staff professional development. When adults focus on and improve their own well-being, they are better able
to model for students and create a school culture that is truly welcoming to all.

7. Implement Mental Health Supports

The Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2021 supports the
Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) State
Educational Agency Grant Program. It’s a source of grant funding to
states to provide school-based mental health services, including
screening, treatment, and outreach programs. Administrators should find
out how their state is utilizing these funds and how they can tap into
those resources. Funding could be used to finance an on-site mental
health center or hire more counselors and social workers. Schools could
also consider strategies such as affinity groups organized around student
identity or student clubs that practice yoga or meditation.

Improving students’ sense of belonging can make a real difference,

improving engagement and motivation, mental health and well-being, and
academic achievement. By adopting some or all of the above strategies,
educators can ensure their students feel welcome and connected in school.

About BASE Education, a 7 Mindsets Solution

BASE Education is a comprehensive student mental health platform that offers personalized learning
pathways for students needing Tiers 2 and 3 support. Founded in 2014, BASE Education is recognized
by CASEL for its high-quality content, innovation, and other implementation supports, including
a built-in notification system for crisis intervention. Since its launch, BASE Education has been used
by more than 500,000 students nationwide.

09122023