Come Together! How Belonging Impacts and Improves the Student Experience!

A sense of belonging is the feeling of being accepted, included and connected to a community. A strong sense of belonging is positively correlated with academic success, degree completion, engagement and motivation to participate in academic and social events, mental and emotional well-being, and reduced risk behaviors. Recognizing the importance of belongingness, this session will start with an initial report on a group of PE majors’ sense of belonging in the PETE program. We will then share different strategies to develop such belongingness over an academic year. Before opening the floor for discussion and exploration of other strategies, we will share how each strategy affects our PE majors’ comfort level and connection to their peers. If you're an undergraduate student, graduate student, or higher education faculty, this session is for you. Join us to learn, share, and grow a strong sense of belonging in your community.