A Sustained Discussion Project (2024-2025)
Led by SDP Visiting Fellow, Heather Cerny van Benthuysen
Overview
Belonging and engagement are inseparable—and foundational to equity, learning, and democratic participation in education. Yet, many schools lack the cultural and systemic infrastructure to foster environments where students and educators feel valued and invested.
This project explores what it takes to design schools where belonging drives engagement and engagement fuels meaningful improvement. Together, we will examine how to rebuild education systems and cultures to center on belonging, learning, and collective investment.
By identifying barriers, exploring inclusive practices, and envisioning systemic change, we aim to develop actionable strategies that help schools model the equitable and democratic values we strive for in society.
Exploratory Questions
What would schools look like if students were key stakeholders, and their engagement was non-negotiable?
What if we stopped asking how teachers can support belonging and started asking how schooling and institutions can transform to achieve it?
How can we redesign our institutions for belonging and engagement in, and for, a pluralistic democracy?
To support these overarching questions, the sustained discussion will:
Define the Problem
- How do school stakeholders (students, teachers, administrators, parents, community members, elected officials) experience belonging in education spaces?
- What does it mean to feel valued, invested, and engaged in an educational environment?
- How do systems that neglect belonging and engagement undermine learning?
- What does “belonging uncertainty” mean for marginalized students and educators, and how does it affect their participation and engagement?
- How do experiences of inclusion—or exclusion—shape perceptions of possibility and investment in education?
Explore Barriers and Opportunities
- How do belonging and engagement (or their absence) impact continuous improvement in schools?
- What cultural norms and systemic barriers hinder belonging, and what are the consequences for student engagement? Civic culture?
- How might external factors—such as political polarization or economic inequities—shape belonging and engagement efforts in schools?
- What systems and practices foster authentic engagement and ownership of learning and improvement?
- What practices help build cultures of engagement that extend beyond compliance to true ownership of learning and improvement?
- How can policy promote or inhibit engagement and inclusion in schools?
- What risks threaten sustainable cultures of engagement and improvement?
- What happens when civic engagement efforts are encouraged but adults lack the mindsets or capacity to support belonging and engagement?
- What unintended consequences arise when civic engagement efforts fail to address systemic inequities or exclude marginalized voices?
Envision Transformative Change
- What systemic shifts are necessary to embed belonging as a cornerstone of education?
- What experiences are most effective in shifting hearts and minds toward belonging and engagement as the standard for schools?
- What systems and practices are most effective in fostering a sense of belonging and engagement in classrooms, schools, and districts, across stakeholder groups?
- What conditions are essential to support and sustain these systems over time?
- What do teachers need to foster belonging and engagement in their classrooms, and how might this vary across disciplines?
- What conditions are essential to support and sustain these systems over time?
- How can schools ensure these practices remain adaptable and inclusive as their communities evolve?
- What skills, mindsets, and values must educators and students cultivate to sustain a culture of belonging and engagement?
Summary
This project invites educators, funders, policymakers, and community leaders to explore and enact the deep systemic changes required for a culture of belonging in education. Through examining barriers, bridging divides, and developing inclusive practices, we will generate insights and recommendations that support both educational outcomes and democratic health. Our goal is to guide schools in creating environments where belonging and civic engagement are integral to the culture and systems, strengthening the foundations of democracy.
Get Involved
To learn more about this project, please contact Heather Cerny Van Benthuysen at [email protected].
