Three Strategies for Cultivating a Sense of Belonging Among Diverse Populations
A Gardner Perspective by Jemima Oso
When I first began my year as a Stanford Public Interest Network-Shinnyo fellow, I found myself battling insecurities. Entering a cohort with other recent college graduates — all high achievers — proved to be a daunting task. What if I didn’t fit in? Thankfully, I was soon invited into spaces reserved for fellows to connect with one another and learn new skills — such as the Shinnyo-en Foundation’s orientation and retreat and the Haas Center for Public Service’s SPIN professional development sessions. Finding similarities with my peers calmed my nerves and reinforced that I was part of the group. This early experience set the stage for a theme I would revisit throughout my fellowship year: sense of belonging.
Sense of belonging — or belongingness — is the human emotional need to be an accepted member of a group. As a fellow, I worked with diverse populations, from at-risk youth in East Palo Alto to immigrants and newcomers in Redwood City and North Fair Oaks. I found that the desire to belong was uniting us all. In these populations in particular, I observed that historical barriers — such as stereotypes, underrepresentation in local narratives, and a lack of resources — kept community members from reaching their fullest potential.
I came to ask myself, “how do I cultivate a sense of belonging when populations face great barriers to fitting in?”
Here are some strategies I learned are necessary when breaking down barriers and fostering a sense of belonging in diverse populations.
Dispel myths and stereotypes
At-risk students are often mislabeled as criminals, dropouts, and menaces to society. Such stereotypes send youth the message that they will never amount to anything. This year I observed how San Mateo County’s Students With Amazing Goals (SWAG) Initiative focused on students’ potential, rather than their perceived deficits, to support their journey towards graduation. For example, SWAG staff gave youth chances to catch up on overdue homework. They took them on field trips to local tech campuses. They offered them one-on-one mentoring. In doing so, SWAG staff showed youth that they could make up for their former missteps and presented them new avenues for their future. This allowed the youth to conclude that they are capable of identifying and belonging as students.
Weave diverse stories into the community’s narrative by creating spaces for dialogue
Much of my work this year was under Redwood City Together, Redwood City 2020’s welcoming initiative, which seeks to build grassroots empathy and understanding across the Redwood City community and foster a welcoming environment for all. Each year culminates in our Community Dinner and Dialogue. At this event, we hold space for long-term residents and newcomers — especially immigrants — to come together and share personal stories. This validates newcomers’ stories as unique additions to the wider community narrative.
Advocate for resources
When a community extends its resources to me, I know I am accepted. The SWAG staff provide academically disengaged students with the same resources that high achieving students often get. Youth receive tutoring and access to fun extracurricular activities like golf and photography. In Redwood City Together, we reward organizations that target their programs or resources at traditionally marginalized groups. I believe it is crucial to show populations with barriers to fitting in that we value them. Offering them resources serves as a sign of investment. Resources send the message, “You belong here and we want you to stay.” To cultivate a sense of belonging, we must advocate for the creation of these resources if they do not already exist.
Recently, I began working as a residential faculty member at Eastside College Preparatory in East Palo Alto. Eastside’s mission is to educate students who are historically underrepresented in higher education. Besides traditional academics, this involves a reeducation of the mind. That’s where I come in. It is my job to emphasize that my students belong to a group of scholars who are on their way to higher education. The first step is dispelling the myth that they could never belong. Fostering that sense of belonging is what helps individuals to succeed.
In 2016–17, Jemima Oso served as a Shinnyo fellow who spent 70% of her time collaborating at Redwood City 2020 and 30% of her time researching at the John W. Gardner Center for Youth and their Communities at Stanford University.
