By Terrell Strayhorn and Sarah Caverly for Harmony Academy at National University

In education, we often look for ownership. Who is responsible for student engagement? For academic success? Too often, belonging gets assigned to a single role, office, or initiative. But belonging does not work that way.

Belonging is fundamental to motivation, learning, and development. Research shows it is as essential as air, water, food, shelter, and sleep. It is not a soft add-on or a feel-good bonus once the “real work” is done; it’s the condition that makes real work possible. When students feel connected, respected, and valued, their cognitive and emotional resources are freed to focus on learning.

Crucially, belonging is not a fixed trait or a onetime achievement. It is relational, dynamic, and deeply contextual. Students are constantly scanning their environments for cues that signal whether they matter. These signals come not from a single adult or program, but from the accumulation of everyday interactions.

Belonging is built — or eroded — through consistency across the student experience.

This is why isolated efforts fall short. Belonging must be continually reinforced through reliable, purposeful interactions that demonstrate care, respect, and inclusion over time. Whether it is a teacher learning and correctly pronouncing a student’s name, an advisor proactively reaching out before a student struggles, or classroom routines that ensure every voice is heard, these moments work together to form a coherent culture of connection.

Importantly, building belonging at scale requires both individual commitment and shared structures. Everyday practices and routines — such as those embedded in approaches like Harmony — create predictable opportunities for students to be seen, heard, and valued across contexts. When these practices are aligned across adults and school settings, belonging becomes part of the system, not the exception.

What can schools and districts do right now to get started?

Research points to several steps grounded in everyday practice:

  • Examine belonging across the full student day. Look beyond individual classrooms or programs to ensure students encounter consistent signals of care and respect across settings and with adults.
  • Invest in relational consistency, not onetime efforts. Prioritize simple, recurring routines that provide predictable opportunities for connection and participation.
  • Align expectations across staff and roles. Belonging strengthens when adults reinforce shared norms for inclusion, respect, and engagement rather than sending mixed messages.
  • Find the right support for your needs. Partners like Harmony Academy can help translate research into customized everyday practices and support consistent, systemwide implementation.
  • Revisit belonging regularly. Because belonging is dynamic and context-dependent, practices should be reassessed during transitions, disruptions, and periods of change.

The work of belonging is never finished. Belonging is not the responsibility of one person or one program. It is a collective endeavor woven through everyday interactions and reinforced by shared structures. When schools embrace belonging as shared work, they create the conditions for all students to learn, grow, and succeed.

Dr. Terrell Strayhorn is Professor of Education and Psychology at Virginia Union University, where he serves as Dean of the School of Education. He is one of the country’s most-cited scholars on “sense of belonging,” showing how connection and acceptance accelerate student achievement, learning, and institutional effectiveness. 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.

Sarah Caverly brings deep expertise in applied developmental psychology and strategic mixed-methods research to educational innovation. As Director of Research at Harmony Academy, she led research to drive impact, following earlier work as a Principal Researcher at the American Institutes for Research focused on advancing evidence-based practice.

Chalkbeat’s editorial staff had no role in writing or preparing this paid content. Learn about our sponsored content policy.