Opportunities to belong research review
- The University of Minnesota Center for Research and Outreach. (2017). Opportunities to belong research review. Retrieved from: www.MilitaryREACH.org
- Within youth programs, positive youth development is supported by programs’ components, which include a safe environment, positive interactions and relationships, and engaging and enriching activities (Eccles & Gootman, 2002). Moreover, there are psychological and emotional experiences, such as perceptions of belonging and connectedness, that play a role in youth’s involvement in programs’ environments, relationships, and activities. As such, a successful youth program has multiple features and characteristics that provide opportunities to enhance youth’s sense of belonging and connectedness. Feeling connected to or a sense of belonging within an environment is a bidirectional process in that it includes feeling cared for by individuals in the environment as well as caring about those same individuals. Furthermore, youth’s sense of belonging is related to available opportunities in their surroundings (e.g., schools, youth programs) and their abilities to take advantage of those opportunities (Guerra & Bradshaw, 2008). Youth programs are well-positioned to not only provide stimulating activities and a safe environment but also positive experiences that can lead to a greater sense of belonging and connectedness among youth participants.
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Research summaries convey terminology used by the scientists who authored the original research article; some terminology may not align with the federal government's mandated language for certain constructs.