b'00 s psrpinrigntgidtiedreerseesaeracrhc.ho.rogrg12THEBELONGINGNESS PROCESSLEVEL 3: (I am) KKnnoowwnnBelongingness reaches a new level when a person feels known This depth of Belongingness reaches a new level when a person feels knownbelongingness, this sense of feeling known, builds on being noticed and named but adds the all-important dimension of unreserved acceptance. Freed from the fear of rejection, young people feel safe having open, honest conversations. They are more lik . They are more likely rejection, young people feel safe having open, honest conversationsto share hopes, anxieties, challenges, and joys alike In essence In essence, they experience trust within that relationship This kind of acceptance has immeasurable significance as anThis kind of acceptance has immeasurable significance as an antidote for loneliness, isolation, and stress. Accepting young people without judgmentantidote for loneliness, isolation, and stress . Accepting young people without judgment is an essential condition for deep belongingness is an essential condition for deep belongingnessWe asked young people whether they experience being known at schoolat school. Once again, the. Once again, the data capturing student perspectives in general show that schools are doing a good job encouraging safety and not being judgmental, thus creating an environment of belonging encouraging safety and not being judgmental, thus creating an environment of belongingNearly70%70%ofofstudentsstudentssurveyedsurveyedagreedagreedthatthattheytheyfeelfeelsafesafewithwithmostmostadultsadultsatattheirtheirschoolsschoolsNearlyand that those adults are openly supportive as well as curious without being judgmental. .and that those adults are openly supportive as well as curious without being judgmentalImportantly, just as we see with nonbinary young people in the statistic on the next page, sense of safety within relationships at school does not always translate to this general sense of safety within relationships at school does not always translate to the the possibility of real depth or trust. As noted in our k . Only 18% of students tell us they feel safe enough to talk ey findings on page 18, only 18% of possibility of real depth or trustabout what really matters to me at school . For Black or African American students, thisat school. students tell us they feel safe enough to talk about what really matters to meFor Black or African American students, this figure drops to 11%. figure drops to 11% . urning TipTide-Turning Look for outliers. Consider students who are likely to not feel they are a part of your school communitytransfer students, students who do not have resources to participate in extracurricular activities, students whose families cannot easily access communications provided by the school because ofIf you are language barriers or technological gaps, students with external interestsinterested, not recognized by the school, and so on.learn more not recognized by the school, and so on . Assess what you do to help these students, and what you dont do. How might you help them? To helpand sign up here.generate some ideas, Springtide has created a free 6-week email series, The Belongingness Challenge, that sends a weekly prompt to help you integrate practices of belonging into your everyday work with young people '