Godwin Heights — Sophomore La’Rae Murray had a question for fellow North Godwin students: “What do you think belonging and mattering means?”
As the microphone moved through the crowd, fourth- and fifth-graders gave such answers such as thinking of others, not being afraid to say what you feel and not being afraid to be yourself.
“Their responses were pretty good,” La’Rae said later. “They definitely have a sense of what it means to belong.”
La’Rae is one of the student leaders for the district-wide initiative, “I Belong, I Matter,” designed to help students make connections and build a sense of belonging.
“By feeling that you belong, you actually want to come to school,” La’Rae said. “You have to have that sense that the people here are supporting you and making you feel safe, to make you want to be here.”
“You feel welcomed,” freshman Jakobi Whitby said. “People are there for you.”
Added senior Aa’Naja Miller: “It’s like having a second family. You have your ups and your downs, but you still come together.”
Building a Sense of Belonging
During the 2023-24 school year, middle- and high-school students participated in the Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth, an online student health survey offered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to support local and regional needs assessments.
Last year, Godwin Heights’ health and wellness team, which includes district health and physical education instructors, local health professionals and Kent School Services Network staff, shared results that students in both schools did not feel a connection and sense of belonging to the school and the neighboring community, said Assistant Principal Mike Porco.
“The fact that students were saying this through the survey, it was important enough for us to respond,” Porco said.
That’s why, this school year, the team has prioritized improvement by creating the “I Belong, I Matter” program.
A key component of the program is to cultivate student leaders, said Kelsey Gruber, the high school’s KSSN community school coordinator, by working with teachers to identify students for those roles.
“We wanted that student voice and we have a great group of 7th- to 12th-graders who really work together, creating a deeper sense of belonging and community,” Gruber said. “It has been amazing to watch these students become leaders and grow to take ownership of their school.”
Jakobi said it was an honor to be recognized by teachers as a leader for the school, and that it opens up new opportunities to work with and to be a voice for peers.
Added La’Rae: “Being picked as a leader helps us to know what is going on in the school and relay back (to adults) on how students are feeling.”
Reinforcing That Everyone Matters
In February, student leaders helped with a kick-off assembly for middle- and high-school students. The event included games, a speaker and a T-shirt handout, Jakobi said.
La’Rae said that each student received two bracelets: one for themselves and one to give to another student as a symbol of belonging.
‘You have to have that sense that the people here are supporting you and making you feel safe, to make you want to be here.’
— sophomore La’Rae Murray
At the event, an “I Belong, I Matter” art and writing competition was announced. Students and family members had the opportunity to vote at the district art show/Community Day event in April, sponsored by Lumbermen’s Inc., and the winners will be announced May 7 during an event at Wyoming’s The Stray.
In March and April, student leaders visited North and West Godwin elementary schools to introduce the initiative to those students, and the program is planned to continue next school year.
Read more from Godwin Heights:
• Eighth-graders reenact the Constitutional Convention
• High schoolers share thoughts on school safety, engagement & more
