Annual Funder Briefing

What does it mean to support belonging as districts grapple with uncertainty related to COVID-19, and as students and educators reckon with our nation’s history of racial violence? What factors should education leaders consider in order to support belonging in virtual environments and for students who are marginalized by the current system?

At the 2020 virtual briefing, attendees heard from leaders in research and practice about the structures and conditions that are needed to support adolescents’ sense of belonging in this unique moment and reflected on the new potential for transformative shifts in our education system.

Knowing that one’s voice is heard and matters—at an individual and a collective level—is critical to a person’s sense of efficacy, competency, and motivation; their well-being and outcomes; and their development as contributors to their community and broader society. Yet, educational environments are not often designed to be reflective of, or responsive to, students’ perspectives.

At the 2019 briefing, attendees learned what it looks and feels like for educator practice, institutional policy, and systems change to convey to students that their voices and perspectives are heard and matter.

Research tells us that students’ perceptions related to growth mindset (the belief that intelligence can be developed) and relevance and purpose (the belief that one’s schoolwork matters) are levers for improving students’ motivation and psychological experience of school. But before students grapple with questions like, “can I get better at this subject?” or, “what is the value of this material?” they face an even more foundational question about their classroom and school: “Am I someone who belongs here?”

At the 2018 briefing, attendees explored the field of belonging, with a special focus on different types of partnerships between practitioners and researchers.

At the 2017 briefing, speakers with expertise in research translation led design workshops that had attendees envision how they might integrate the latest insights from mindset science into their work. The event also featured an early look at findings from the National Study of Learning Mindsets.

At the 2016 briefing, speakers described how policy and educator practices influence students’ psychological experience of learning and school. They also demonstrated how science and practice can shape each other through relationships between researchers and practitioners, measurement tools, networked improvement communities, and the implementation of scientific interventions at scale.