By Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. and Miriam Blanc-Gonnet, for Harmony Academy at National University
Belonging has become an imperative for school and district leaders navigating attendance challenges, disengagement, and staff strain. Belonging is not abstract—actions to promote belonging are central to performance and culture.
Stanford University social psychologist Geoffrey Cohen defines belonging as “the feeling that we’re part of a larger group that values, respects, and cares for us, and to which we feel we have something meaningful to contribute” (Cohen, 2022). Research consistently shows that a strong sense of belonging is associated with students’ academic engagement, motivation, and learning (Štremfel et al., 2024; Gülşen, 2024; Allen et al., 2025).
If belonging is foundational to learning, the question becomes “how do leaders intentionally ensure students and staff feel it at scale?” This requires more than isolated initiatives. It calls for a shared language, consistent practices, and daily interactions that reinforce connection and care across classrooms and school communities—for instance, those practices found at Harmony Academy.
The strategies that follow highlight concrete, research-informed actions that school and district leaders can implement to strengthen connections and belonging across a school community.
Belonging Builder 1: Welcoming Schools, Not Just Welcoming Classrooms
A school’s climate plays a meaningful role in learning and engagement. Research shows that students are more likely to engage academically when they feel welcomed by the adults in their school environment, an effect demonstrated, for example, in studies of teachers greeting students at the classroom door (Allday et al., 2011; Smith et al., 2024). For leaders, the opportunity lies in extending this practice beyond individual classrooms and into the school’s overall culture.
Leaders can support this work by equipping staff with shared language and practical tools that make relationship building a visible and consistent part of the school day. For example, Harmony’s Everyday Practices provide consistent and predictable routines to build connections. When adults intentionally acknowledge students by name during arrival, transitions, lunch, recess, or passing periods, they reinforce the message that students belong.
Belonging Builder 2: Visible Contribution and Shared Responsibility
Feeling needed is a powerful driver of belonging to students, just as it is for adults. When schools create opportunities for students to take on meaningful leadership roles and responsibilities, leaders communicate that student’s contributions matter (Jang, 2024).
School and district leaders can design structures that make student contributions visible and meaningful across the school. Examples include cross-grade mentoring programs, peer mediation or conflict-resolution teams, youth-led clubs or initiatives, and student councils supporting schoolwide events.
Belonging Builder 3: Pathways for Student Participation and Voice
A core element of belonging is the feeling that one’s voice matters. Research on classroom participation emphasizes the importance of providing universal, low-risk response opportunities that encourage student engagement (Marsh et al., 2023).
Leaders can apply approaches that embed regular check-ins, reflection, and shared discussion prompts into the school experience—such as those in Harmony’s Meet Up—helping participation feel routine rather than exceptional. Schoolwide check-ins or student surveys provide low-stakes opportunities for students to give feedback and signal that their voices are expected and respected parts of the school culture.
Belonging Builder 4: Collaboration That Requires Every Student’s Contribution
When students work together toward common shared goals, they build relationships and develop a sense of collective responsibility. Research consistently shows that structured collaboration supports deeper learning and stronger peer connections (Fisher & Frey, 2021).
School leaders can apply this principle through cross-class or grade-level projects, such as a school mural, a community reading project, or a science exhibition, as well as clubs organized around creating something together, including robotics builds, Reader’s Theater productions, or the school yearbook.
Belonging Builder 5: Shift the Balance Toward Moments of Success
Students are more likely to take academic and social risks when they feel connected to their school community and believe that success is attainable (Korpershoek et al., 2019). Belonging is strengthened when students can draw on past successes to navigate new challenges.
Leaders can support this process by creating regular opportunities for students to experience and recognize success, such as acknowledging increased participation during morning announcements or brief interactions throughout the day. Over time, these moments help students develop confidence and persistence.
From Intention to Action
Fostering a sense of belonging should be a fundamental part of a school’s culture. The Belonging Builders outlined here are practical strategies to integrate into daily school life. When belonging is elevated as a schoolwide priority, schools support stronger academic outcomes while helping students develop the confidence they need to navigate challenges.
Doug Fisher, Ph.D., is a credentialed California teacher and administrator and the author of more than 250 books, chapters, and articles on school improvement. He was elected to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2022 and is a teacher leader at Health Sciences High & Middle College, an award-winning public school in San Diego he co-founded in 2007. He works with Harmony Academy at National University to help schools and districts turn belonging into measurable gains in engagement, attendance, teacher retention, and academic success.
Miriam Blanc-Gonnet is Senior Manager of User Strategy at Harmony Academy at National University, and a former elementary school teacher. She leads research-informed content and curriculum that supports the whole human across classrooms, out-of-school programs, and home environments.