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This study, together with existing literature on youth and belonging, yielded the following critical insights into how young people think about, feel, and approach belonging. This report pairs each insight with recommendations for both young people and the adults who work with them. The report identifies the recommendations best suited for adults and those designed for young people to implement themselves, though in either case, adults must create the conditions that make these practices possible.
Key Recommendation:
Co-Design Spaces with Young People
Our primary recommendation is that organizations provide young people with opportunities to co-create and co-design the spaces intended for them. Adults leading these spaces can set the stage for young people to play a role in shaping how they operate and feel. To facilitate this, adults must share power and grant young people agency in developing their mutual spaces.
Adults can set the tone by acknowledging the goal of creating a welcoming community where everyone belongs, and then invite young people to participate in achieving that goal together. This process allows for deeper connections between adults and young people, and among young people themselves. This approach captures the spirit of the YPAR study design, and expands the concept of co-creation with young people to all domains.
Insight #1: Young people want to feel cared for and appreciated for who they are.
Young people feel a sense of belonging in spaces where they can show up as their full selves and feel fully welcomed and appreciated. They desire the freedom and opportunity to show up authentically without fear of judgment for who they are, what they like, and how they act, particularly when these aspects of themselves relate to the identities they hold. This freedom signals respect and acceptance, showing young people that they don’t have to change who they are to feel they belong in a space.
“Different groups describe this acceptance in different ways. While girls and women often appreciate not having to change how they talk or act to fit in, boys and men were more likely to say they feel they can be their authentic selves when no one judges them for what they like.”
Young people also want to feel genuinely cared for. They feel a strong sense of belonging when others express excitement to see them or display other explicit welcoming cues, and appreciate instances when others make an effort to show care and appreciation for them. In fact, 95% of survey respondents reported feeling a sense of belonging when others make an effort to connect with them. This was the strongest signal of belonging reported in the survey, which also had the fewest differential experiences reported, indicating that it is a strong indicator of belonging across identity.
Recommendation: Practice Microconnections
Encourage adults and peers to adopt the strategy of microconnections as an intentional daily practice or habit. These are brief, intentional acts of positive recognition—like a smile, a nod, a fist bump or using a student's name warmly— that signal "I see you. You matter. You belong." These small daily practices profoundly boost a young person's sense of safety, inclusion, and dignity and are a simple, powerful antidote to loneliness and social exclusion, quietly building belonging where microaggressions erode it. Rooted in research on "microaffirmations," which support well-being and success, microconnections require no special training or budget, making them a highly accessible and scalable belonging strategy for all adults and peers.
Recommendation: Create Habits of Checking-In
When co-designing spaces with young people, consider a process to build in regular check-ins for young people between each other, and with adults in the space. These seemingly simple practices of care carry real weight: young people experience regular check-ins as a meaningful sign that someone is thinking about them, and as a foundation for deeper connection.
Regular check-ins also foster a sense of social belonging and connection, which act as a catalyst for achievement motivation and a more productive classroom climate. According to research by Cook et al. (2018), implementing a Positive Greetings at the Door (PGD) strategy led to a 20% increase in academic engagement and a significant reduction in disruptive behavior by establishing a positive teacher-student relationship from the very start of class.
Recommendation: Explicitly Acknowledge a Value of Fair Treatment for All
Co-designed spaces should also clearly and directly state that the community values fair treatment for all. Research demonstrates that organizations perceived as valuing diversity and fairness are meaningfully important for fostering belonging among youth (Celeste et al., 2019; Brown et al., 2025; Maratia et al., 2025). An explicit commitment to acceptance signals to young people that they can show up as their full selves.
This matters because research also shows that young people sometimes use psychological distancing — downplaying aspects of their identity — to navigate spaces they perceive as less accepting (Bybee et al., 2020). Giving young people a role in defining how a space operates and how its values are communicated can counter this dynamic, helping ensure they feel genuinely seen and appreciated in a space they helped create.
Insight #2: Young people want to be taken seriously.
Young people appreciate when their ideas and opinions are sought out and respected. This acknowledgement of their expertise makes them feel taken seriously and that what they have to offer matters. They particularly appreciate it when others not only ask for their feedback but also remember what they shared. When young people’s ideas and opinions are dismissed, this greatly reduces their sense of belonging. Instead, when a community shows interest in hearing multiple perspectives, it signals that all ideas and opinions are valued, making it easier for young people to contribute their own.
Young people also appreciate when their needs and preferences are considered because it demonstrates to them that they matter. This is particularly important for girls and women, according to survey results.
Recommendation: Ask about Needs and Preferences
When co-creating a space with young people, explicitly ask about their needs and preferences. Rather than making assumptions about what young people might want, turn this into a direct request for ideas and feedback, giving young people agency to decide how to meet their needs and those of their peers. A recent UK study conducted with young people with autism found that a co-design and youth leadership model that allowed them to embrace their autistic identity and prioritize their needs as they relate to autism helped to promote self-acceptance, belonging, and resilience (Crompton et al., 2023). This practice of making what is normally assumed explicit also pushes against common reliance on stereotypes and heuristics, as well as arbitrary rules of politeness that can silence critical conversations.
Recommendation: Invite them to Identify Themselves
Ask young people how they like to identify themselves. This extends the concept of rejecting assumptions to one’s identity, affirming that young people have the authority to define who they are and that those decisions deserve respect. This is particularly important for young people with more complex identities, including immigrants, refugees, and those who identify as mixed race.
For example, research conducted with young refugees in Australia showed that participants had differing and nuanced conceptualizations of their identities as “Australians” and/or as citizens of their home country (Ziaian et al., 2021). Furthermore, another qualitative Australian study found that many youth who identify as immigrant, multiracial, and/or queer continue to challenge modern understandings of multicultural identity categories (Wright & Xiao, 2023). With this finding, we posit that giving young people the space and autonomy to self-identify not only shows that they are being taken seriously but also gives them the opportunity to share the nuances in their own identities and to push the bounds of what more complex identities look like for them.
Crucially, ensure that these asks are invitations to share, and not requirements. It is important for young people to feel safe declining to share. This is particularly important to note, as many young people feel that staying silent can be a useful tool to protect themselves in spaces where they do not yet feel comfortable opening up. According to survey results, resonance with this aspect of belonging was the most dependent upon identity. Girls and women (compared to boys and men), LGBTQ+ youth (compared to non-LGBTQ+ youth), and those in their early teens (compared to older youth) rely on this tool. Respecting one’s decision to speak up or stay quiet is crucial to taking their desires and decisions seriously.
Recommendation: Practice Active Listening
For young people to feel taken seriously, it is important to give them space to share and to show them the respect of your attention. Rather than jumping to problem-solving, it is particularly crucial to spend time acknowledging their feelings, thoughts, and opinions. To this end, building mechanisms to gather their feedback and ideas can also create formal pathways to engage in active listening. Encouraging their contributions, not through a survey, but instead through intentional conversations, can reinforce the understanding that their ideas and opinions matter and are being taken seriously.
Recommendation: Utilize Practices that Prompt Transcendent Thinking
Lead young people in reflective practices that engage them in transcendent thinking, connecting their reflections to deeper life concepts such as meaning, purpose, and ethics. Research has shown that engagement in transcendent thinking practices predicts stronger self-liking and relationship satisfaction by building neural networks associated with identity development (Gotlieb et al., 2024; Immordino-Yang et al., 2024).
Furthermore, transcendent thinking prompts young people to consider their place in the broader world, connecting their own experiences and feelings to life beyond themselves. Leading young people in these discussions demonstrates to them that adults take their capacity to think in meaningful ways seriously. It empowers them to take themselves seriously and understand how they fit into the broader social and cultural system around them. Furthermore, these moments of intentionally pausing and stopping to reflect, particularly after deep or intense learning, connect them to one another and the world around them, engaging them in meaning-making and developing their own sense of purpose and identity.
Insight #3: Young people need room to grow.
Survey results indicate that 95% of respondents share the sentiment that feeling supported, even if they make a mistake, helps them feel a sense of belonging. Young people, like adults, hold anxiety around making mistakes, often engaging in high levels of self-criticism and self-flagellation. Instead, young people long for others to recognize their potential, even if they are still learning. They appreciate it when adults, in particular, believe in them and push them to grow. This is especially evident among girls and women, as well as Black and Latine youth, as demonstrated by the survey. Older participants in their 20s and those from larger families also reported feeling a stronger sense of belonging when others notice their potential.
Recommendation: Normalize Mistakes and Encourage a Growth Mindset
Encourage a growth (rather than fixed) mindset among young people by normalizing mistakes and rejecting perfectionism (Dweck, 2009). Set a clear understanding with young people that it is not only normal but even beneficial to make mistakes and learn from them, as an avenue for personal growth and development. Extant research has identified resilience as a core skill that supports young people's growth and sense of belonging (Gonzalez et al., 2023; Slaten et al., 2019). Emphasizing a growth mindset sets the stage for young people to develop their resilience, giving them the acceptance of making mistakes, as well as the room to learn from them and grow. Toolkits, scripts, or guidelines tailored to navigating mistakes and the growth process in specific domains can be particularly powerful.
Of note, adults must also actively work to adopt a growth mindset, as our own fears of mistakes and tendency to perfectionism may be projected onto youth. When adults model behaviors such as apologizing to others or admitting when they make a mistake, this signals to young people that it is acceptable to recognize errors or mishaps rather than ignore or suppress them. Adults can also express their own vulnerability by sharing moments when mistakes were made and by connecting to or relating to this shared struggle, which is both part of life and necessary for growth. In fact, when adults model repair in their interactions with young people, these intentional efforts to connect not only demonstrate that conflict and mistakes are normal but also show young people that they matter and that their relationships with you are worth the discomfort of having difficult conversations.
Another tool for normalizing mistakes is social media. Engaging young people on a platform familiar to them through a campaign centered on educators and youth sharing stories can help reinforce the idea that mistakes are normal and essential for reaching one’s potential.
Recommendation: Engage in Reflection and Skill-Building
Encourage young people to reflect on the skills they seek to obtain. Ask them to identify their strengths, as well as the skills they want to grow or that they have not yet fully developed, and invite them to spaces where they can challenge themselves to develop these skills. One 2020 study found that programs structured around skill-building increased belonging among youth and even helped offset declines in belonging when relationships with adults in charge of a space were weaker (Kazlauskaite et al., 2020).
Suggest tasks they can do to actively target their desired skillset, and create smaller cohort groups working on developing similar skillsets so they can check in on progress, hold each other accountable, and connect with their peers on their journeys. Consider asking them to identify one skill to work on each quarter or every six months, to ensure they prioritize one skill without feeling overwhelmed, and to showcase that skill-building is an ongoing process that requires time and patience. These practices will also reinforce a growth mindset over a fixed mindset, emphasizing the idea that anyone can choose to develop any skill at any point in time.
Recommendation: Address the Inner Critic
Support young people in quieting their inner critic by showing them how to recognize it and stand up for themselves when it engages in unhelpful self-criticism or perfectionism. Give them examples of what their inner critic might sound like, so they learn to recognize common thought patterns that do not serve them and then separate those thoughts from their own sense of self. Show them how they might advocate for themselves and address the inner critic by using facts and taking back agency in their own thoughts. Encourage them to reflect on the positive things they’ve accomplished to counter the negativity of the inner critic. Make it clear that this is an ongoing practice that takes time to master and normalize the fact that they may still need external support and processing to address their inner critic.
Insight #4: Young people long to connect with others on a deeper level.
Youth crave opportunities to meet and connect with each other, particularly in communities where they can express themselves and be their full, authentic selves around others. They seek spaces where they feel comfortable connecting with others and building community. These needs are not just beneficial but developmentally necessary for young people, who rely heavily on connections with peers for emotional support, identity formation, and social and emotional development (Ramsey et al., 2023).
Young people recognize shared activities, interests, and values as settings in which they can build these connections and frequently note that these shared experiences help foster a sense of belonging among themselves. They appreciate the ability to share moments of joy, play, and happiness tied to activities they enjoy. They note feeling connected to their peers through love of sports, art, other hobbies, creativity, and humor. Among survey respondents, 88% reported that shared activities, such as hobbies, games, or celebrations, help them connect with those they may not have much in common with at first, and 89% shared that connecting with others over interests such as shows, music, sports, hobbies, or style can help foster belonging.
Many young people also expressed an appreciation for being able to relate to others on a deeper level, through shared values or politics, shared goals and ambitions, and shared identities and cultures. These opportunities to relate to each other through shared purpose, struggles, and experiences help them feel understood and connected. Young people find it easier to be themselves when others around them share their identities. This was particularly the case for participants of color, girls and women, and LGBTQ+ youth who took the survey. These deeper connections are also particularly meaningful in terms of feeling represented and reflected in their communities, especially among Latine youth.
Young people also report that vulnerability plays a significant role in how connected they feel to and supported by others. They note that vulnerability begets vulnerability; some appreciate others modeling vulnerability so they feel more comfortable opening up, while others enjoy taking the first step at being vulnerable to provide that space for others to feel more at ease in sharing. Girls and women (vs. boys and men), those from lower socioeconomic statuses (vs. middle- or higher-status), and those who are spiritual or non-religious (vs. religious) particularly feel a greater sense of belonging when others are open and honest about their struggles.
Furthermore, the opportunity to be vulnerable and step outside one’s comfort zone is a chance to let down one’s guard, express oneself, and feel a deeper connection with others. This can be an especially meaningful experience for young people who are more inclined to stay quiet to protect themselves, or who are navigating past experiences of abandonment or backlash that make them less likely to always feel safe being vulnerable.
“Being able to understand aspects of myself that I haven’t articulated before, especially in a public setting, where it allowed it to be an internal and external process to relate and learn from other people.” –Youth Researcher
Recommendation: Consistent Group Activities in Membership-Based Communities
A steady and reliable cadence of interactions helps build relationships among young people. The predictability of meeting times and consistency of connection increase ease and grounding in communities. Research has shown that youth mentorship programs with greater routine can increase belonging, even when mentor-mentee relationships are weaker (Kazlauskaite et al., 2020). Consistent meeting times can also create scaffolding in collaboration, allowing for youth to find community and deeper connection through structured, step-by-step interactions (van de Pol et al., 2018; Ouyang et al., 2021).
Membership-based communities also provide a clear sense of belonging for young people, who can feel formally tied to and connected with a group. A study conducted with high school students found that peer-based group programs build greater resilience and a sense of belonging among participants than one-to-one models (Kuperminc et al., 2020). Furthermore, in-person activities provide an opportunity for youth to build connections with one another rather than seeking them purely online through social media platforms. While social media connections offer more ease and less friction, they are rife with opportunities for judgment and cyberbullying. Furthermore, research has demonstrated a significant negative relationship among online exposure to cyberbullying, classroom social climate, and students’ sense of belonging in class, further evidencing the need for more in-person opportunities for connection among youth (Kashey-Rosenbaum & Aizenkot, 2020).
Recommendation: Use Activities and Prompts to Foster Connection
Specific activities or a set of prompts or sentence starters can be tools for young people to latch onto in real-life interactions with one another. After increased disconnection during the COVID-19 pandemic, these types of tools can help put youth at ease when engaging with one another, offering opportunities to share and listen. These may be circle prompts or questions, as well as group-based activities, particularly those involving creative work.
Creative outlets that allow for authentic self-expression, with no boundaries, are particularly appreciated and sought after by young people from lower socioeconomic statuses, according to the survey, in which 100% of those who identified as coming from a lower social class agreed with this statement, compared to 72% who self-identified in the middle, and 84% who self-identified in the top. Existing literature has also shown that young people from lower socioeconomic status communities get the greatest benefit in terms of belonging and positive mental health impacts compared to those from high socioeconomic status communities, despite having the lowest levels of participation (O’Donnell et al., 2023). This finding underscores the importance of this recommendation for young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. The opportunity for creative expression with no boundaries was also particularly appreciated by LGBTQ+ youth (96% in the survey) compared to non-LGBTQ+ youth, and young people with smaller families of 2–3 people (92%) compared to those from larger families. Prompts or activities that use humor can also help young people feel more comfortable and relaxed around one another.
Recommendation: Encourage Vulnerability
In the process of co-creating a space with young people, explicitly name a safe space for vulnerability and prompt the youth in the space to decide how that could be communicated and upheld. Adults should also model vulnerability themselves, when appropriate. Furthermore, reward vulnerability, rather than punishing it. When others are vulnerable, show support and understanding. As always, do not push people to share if they do not want to – these are invitations, not requirements.
Recommendation: Start a Buddy Mentorship Program
Peer mentorship programs have been found to be particularly effective for improving connection, social-emotional development, and academic growth among youth (Karcher et al., 2002). A 2019 study found that a buddy approach to mentorship, in which an older youth is paired with a younger youth, can be a tremendous source of connection, belonging, emotional security, and vulnerability (Tzani-Pepelasi et al.). This approach creates meaningful connections among young people, with many benefits for the mentee's well-being. It also allows mentors to embrace their leadership skills and challenge themselves, providing a reciprocal development model (Maples et al., 2025). In fact, a Teen Science Ambassador Program piloted in a high school found that a three-tiered mentorship model, with three levels of mentors, was particularly effective in supporting not only interest in science but also confidence and belonging among youth participants (Browning et al., 2025).
Insight #5: Young people can benefit from recognizing their own agency in creating a sense of belonging.
Some young people were able to acknowledge their own agency in whether they feel a sense of belonging, as well as their role in creating a broader space for belonging for all. Some of the tools they named to this end include removing themselves from situations in which they do not feel a sense of belonging. For example, one young person discussed the empowerment that comes from choosing one’s own company over trying to achieve belonging in a space that is uncomfortable for them. Other youth in this study reported acknowledging their own unconstructive thought patterns that perpetuate their fears of not belonging. For example, one youth spoke of the common assumptions they make about how others perceive them, which may contribute more to their own feelings of not belonging than the real and material actions of others. Though this insight was overall less prevalent across the study data, and when reported, more concentrated among the older youth involved in this study, it provides a critical insight into future pathways for young people to own their journey towards finding belonging in the world.
Recommendation: Run Peer- or Youth-Led Groups
Allowing young people to lead each other can give them opportunities to practice how they can play a role in setting the tone or culture of a space. It can put them in positions that many have never been in before, where they also have to hold space for others and practice their listening skills in facilitation. Rotating leadership roles ensures that all participants have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, thereby demonstrating that everyone can do so and further encouraging a growth mindset. These peer-led spaces can provide greater support and increased belonging, hope, affect, and learning outcomes compared to those led by adult advisors (Poteat et al., 2025).
Young people can lead their peers in circle prompts (showing that even simple opportunities to contribute to a space can be critical in shaping it) or in more creative activities such as art, music, writing, or movement. This type of creative or fun group work is particularly meaningful for young people in their mid-20s (87% in the survey, compared to ~54% of all other age groups). These groups can also include a set of consistent roles, such as facilitator, timekeeper, circle prompter, etc., which can create familiarity and comfort in taking on a new role and showcase that leadership is often a group activity.
Recommendation: Emphasize What is in Your Control
Encourage youth to focus their time and energy on what is within their control, redirecting their attention to areas where they can exercise agency to enact change. Discuss the ways in which a lack of belonging may be attributed to assumptions, rather than the reality of how others feel or think about us. Then, engage young people in reflecting on the aspects of their experiences that they can control.
This includes engaging in restorative practices of repair and conflict resolution. These practices encourage young people to take responsibility for their actions and teach them that they are in control of their own behavior. One briefing examining restorative practices among California middle schools found that restorative practice implementation was associated with better academic performance, stronger community-building, and shared accountability – a critical aspect of learning from one’s mistakes (Darling-Hammond, 2023).
Recommendation: Conduct a YPAR Study on Belonging
Dive deeper into the topic of belonging by co-conducting a YPAR study with young people. Demonstrate to young people that they have the ability to ask their own questions and find their own answers. Young people will learn that research is accessible and engaging, and that they have the power to expand the bounds of knowledge through curiosity, collaboration, and resourcefulness. Use the YPAR kit developed by the Perception Institute and the Othering & Belonging Institute from this study.
