There's a difference between feeling like you belong in a space and that that space belongs to you. That true sense of belonging, of feeling seen and heard and respected in a space, has profound educational impacts. Dr. Shanette Porterhas studied schools that have created that sense of belonging, and found that not only are strictly academic measures improved (test scores, etc), but other benefits come as well. From increased graduation rates, to decreased disciplinary incidents, to increased attendance, schools that focus on creating a sense of belonging do better for the whole child.  Dr. Porter joins us to share some of her findings, as well as a powerful definition of belonging inspired by john a powell- founder of the Othering and Belonging Institute LINKS: Dr. Porter's research on how high school climate impacts student development and educational attainment - Investing in Adolescents An article from Education Next highlighting the link between Social and Emotional Learning and long term success for students The 74 Million's coverage of some of Dr. Porter's recent research.  john a powell - founder of the Othering and Belonging Institute   WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR STORIES ABOUT BROWN V BOARD!!We are working on a series to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Brown v Board decision this May. If you have a story of Brown’s impact on your life, or you have an elder who are you are connected to who might have a story tell, please send them our way!! Record a voice memo and email it to podcast@integratedschools.org, or visit Speakpipe.com/integratedschools. Check out our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us. Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further. Let us know what you think of this episode, suggest future topics, or share your story with us – IntegratedSchools on Facebook, or email us podcast@integratedschools.org. The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits. This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits. Music by Kevin Casey.