Sense of Belonging Offerings
LearnLaunch is excited to partner with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to offer professional learning services focused on increasing students’ Sense of Belonging. Sense of Belonging is the feeling that one’s authentic self is seen, valued, affirmed, and connected by/to the school and district. When students feel a sense of belonging at school, they are more likely to engage deeply in the learning process. Sense of Belonging is intricately connected with many other areas, such as school culture, student engagement, positive relationships, and others.
Our offerings support Massachusetts districts and schools to work toward sense of belonging by tapping into three key practices: building relationships, valuing and affirming diverse identities, and creating opportunities for engagement.
Team Workshop Series
Many students experience an academic “summer slide” – but what about in their feelings of belonging? This highly-facilitated workshop series will support teams to proactively center belonging in their end of year closure, summer planning, and return to school strategy. Participating teams will engage in a protocol to:
- Create a shared commitment to continually center belonging in planning for the end of year, summer, and fall;
- Create a plan for identifying questions and gathering feedback from stakeholders such as students, staff, and families;
- Using various data, identify priorities for maintaining and enhancing student sense of belonging; and,
- Start to take steps to ensure belonging is a central element of reopening in the fall.
Professional Learning Networks
Our professional learning networks provide personalized support to district teams for the entirety of the school year. Participating teams attend cohort meetings to connect with one another, learn from each other, and delve deeply into the topic of student belonging. Teams also work 1:1 with a LearnLaunch coach to examine their practice and move toward their unique goals.
Sense of Belonging Prioritization and Implementation: Policies, Procedures, and Practices
This network will support district and school leaders to make changes on a high level to support students’ sense of belonging. Teams will audit existing systems and structures, identify areas of need, and create specific plans to use policies, processes, and systems to build stronger student belonging. This network is most appropriate for teams that are interested in examining district-wide policies, practices, and systems. This network will consist of up to 15 teams, made up of 6-8 members (district representatives and school leaders). The network will convene for cohort meetings 5 times over the course of the year (every other month), and will participate in a site visit two times over the year. Each team will appoint a team lead to engage in 1:1 coaching on a monthly basis with a LearnLaunch coach. Participation is free for all Massachusetts schools and districts.
Building a Sense of Belonging through Tier 1 Instruction: Instructional Practices and Classroom-Based Experiences
This network will support school teams, with district representation, to design relevant and inclusive learning experiences to foster students’ sense of belonging. Teams will examine instructional practices on a classroom and school level that support students’ sense of belonging. This network will consist of up to 15 teams, made up of 6-8 members (district representatives and school leaders). The network will convene for cohort meetings 5 times over the course of the year (every other month), and will participate in a site visit two times over the year. Each team will appoint a team lead to engage in 1:1 coaching on a monthly basis with a LearnLaunch coach. Participation is free for all Massachusetts schools and districts.