3. Fostering Membership & Belonging

Have you ever walked into a space and instantly felt like you belonged? What about the space made you feel that way? Was it the people, the physical environment, or the structure of the activity? Now think of a space where you didn’t feel like you belonged. What was it about that space that made you feel that way?

In this video, we’ll start by talking about how inclusive environments require careful planning. Then, we’ll discuss strategies to create inclusive communities. These include building community through daily routines, engaging families with accessible information, using windows and mirrors in program activities, and setting the tone for inclusion as a staff member. We’ll wrap up with a reminder that building inclusive spaces is an ongoing journey.

Let’s get started. Feeling a sense of belonging and membership is something that everyone wants and needs to feel secure and engaged. When families and their children receive intentional messages that they belong, they’re more likely to engage in activities, feel a sense of purpose, build relationships, and be available for learning. But environments that promote feelings of belonging and membership don’t just happen—they’re a result of careful planning.

Creating truly inclusive spaces takes planning and deep reflection. One way to create inclusive spaces for learners and their families is to provide consistent and predictable daily routines designed to build community. Routines promote authentic opportunities for your program, agency, or place of work or worship to show learners and families that they belong. One simple routine is to give positive and personal greetings and goodbyes each day to each child, using their name and sharing a positive statement. Each day, such as “Good morning, Baroo! I’m so happy to see you this morning,” or “Goodbye, Samantha! Have fun later today with your brothers,” are simple and effective ways to build feelings of community.

Intentionally plan ways for children to get to know one another and develop friendships. This could mean actively teaching children one another’s names and encouraging children to decorate a name tag with their name and a favorite activity as your first activity. Then, you could invite everyone to find another peer who shares this interest or who has done this activity before. Provide stickers, stamps, markers, and even photos to collage, and adult support ensures that everyone can participate, despite how they write, draw, or like to use art materials.

Sharing the daily schedule and list of activities can also help families feel included in the program. This will help them plan for their child’s day. For example, families could share this information with their child and begin to talk about the activities that will happen at the program. When sharing information with families, especially families who have children with disabilities or children who speak languages other than English, share information in multiple ways. Some families may need information provided in writing and sent electronically so they can use a translation app like Google Translate. Another family may appreciate a recorded video explaining what the daily schedule looks like so they can pause or rewind it at their convenience. Lastly, sending families pictures of items that their learner could or should bring with them each day, such as their augmentative and alternative communication device or a small fidget toy, helps families who have children with disabilities feel confident that their learner will have things they need to feel comfortable and to participate.

Another strategy to create a culture of belonging is to use the idea of windows and mirrors when planning activities and setting up your program. A window refers to looking into something and learning about another person’s experiences and perspectives that are different from one’s own. A mirror refers to seeing one’s own experiences and perspectives reflected back in what is read, heard, studied, or discussed. Learning about new experiences and seeing oneself reflected in positive ways are important for everyone, but especially for children of color, children with disabilities, children who identify as LGBTQIA+, and other historically marginalized groups. You may be part of a group that doesn’t need to look too hard to see your race, culture, religion, and experiences reflected back to you in what you read, see, or hear. The white, cisgender, and non-disabled perspectives are often the ones centered in children’s books, program activities, and marketing. Because of this, there can often be a built-in sense of belonging and membership for these groups that might not be felt by children and families from other groups. The mirrors for learners with disabilities or learners of color are often non-existent or overshadowed by the many mirrors available to learners who identify as white or non-disabled.

As teachers, support staff, and leaders, it’s important to actively seek out books and visual images to show and tell children and their families that they matter and their perspectives and experiences are valued in your program. Ask yourself: Am I providing opportunities for all learners to see themselves reflected back positively in our activities? Could a variety of families see themselves reflected positively on our website and in our marketing materials? Am I providing opportunities for all learners to learn about experiences and perspectives different from their own? If not, reflect on ways to add authentic and true mirrors and windows for all of your learners and families.

Finally, remember that as a teacher, staff member, counselor, or leader, you set the tone for what inclusion can look like. For example, if there are learners with disabilities who use a different way of communicating, such as an augmentative and alternative communication device, or learners who are learning English, it might be easy for a teacher to accidentally avoid interacting with them. If a teacher gives the impression that certain learners are too difficult to interact with, other learners in the group will follow the teacher’s lead. As staff, check to make sure you’re playing with and talking with all children, regardless of their language, race, gender identity, religion, cultural background, or how they communicate. If children are being left out, ask yourself: What can I do differently to help all children feel a sense of belonging?

Because remember, creating inclusive spaces that welcome and celebrate differences is a journey without an end. There will never be a time where you have arrived at full inclusion or finished your work on creating inclusive spaces. We all have room for improvement, reflection, and growth when we work to create spaces that are welcoming to everyone. Inclusive programs are spaces where everyone feels welcome, supported, and like they belong. Use one of the checklists included with this module to get started reflecting on your program. After answering some questions, choose a few items to start with to improve your program’s forward-facing messages around welcoming and including all families and learners.