WNC Resilience Project Bright Spots: Belonging

Key Points

• Small, research-backed change ideas, like daily arrival check-ins and morning greetings, are helping Buncombe County and Valle Crucis schools make belonging tangible in everyday routines.

• Improvement Science cycles allow teachers and students to co-design and test strategies, showing that resilience and culture grow through consistent, relational gestures of care rather than top-down programs.

  
  

  

The WNC Resilience Project, made possible through generous support from the Leon Levine Foundation, is a three-year, region-wide effort to strengthen resilience, belonging, and innovation in Western North Carolina schools. This summer marked the first season of the journey when district teams came together to draft aims, surface change ideas, and prepare to test the most promising strategies using Improvement Science principles.

Rather than launching with grand initiatives, schools began by brainstorming change ideas paired with small, collaborative tests rooted in daily practice. These early “bright spots” highlight the creativity and commitment of teachers and students who are shaping the path forward.

"My goal as a teacher is to make my students feel safe and secure to be who they are or grow into who they want to become. The WNC Resilience Project is helping me with more strategies to make this a continued success in my classroom." 

Maddie Horton, Math Teacher at Buncombe County Early College

🌟 The Bright Spot: Belonging Through Daily Routines

The Change Idea

The team from Buncombe County Schools surfaced dozens of ways to increase movement and social connection, from recess games and advisory time conversations to morning greetings by name and birthday shout‑outs. Each idea was about weaving belonging into the everyday fabric of school life.

At Valle Crucis School in Watauga County, teachers are beginning with a Change Idea focused on daily arrival check‑ins. This will be piloted in a handful of classrooms so that data on student impacts can inform next steps. Their research-backed hunch is that consistency and adult attention may shift how safe and supported students feel when they walk in the door. Learn more in this short article published on Edutopia.

During the WNC Resilience Project Summer workshops, participating educators were given the opportunity to paint a Resilience Rock after engaging in a few rounds of storytelling. These words and images on these rocks give us a glimpse into what matters most during challenging times. 

The Shared Thread

Though the schools differ in size and context, both teams are testing strategies that point toward a common theme: Belonging isn’t abstract. It’s experienced in hallways, cafeterias, playgrounds, and the first few minutes of class. These change ideas, rooted in student empathy and backed by research, show how schools can build culture not through slogans or posters, but through repeated, relational gestures of care. 

A recent systematic review of 86 studies confirmed that school belonging is a powerful predictor of academic, behavioral, and psychological outcomes, with teacher–student relationships and classroom climate emerging as some of the most important drivers [Štremfel et al., 2024].

What’s Next

Both Buncombe County Schools and Valle Crucis School will receive support from the WNC Resilience Project team to test these initial change ideas and decide whether to scale, adapt, or refine them. By beginning with small, manageable steps, they position themselves to learn quickly and build momentum for what comes next.

🍏Try it Tomorrow: Affinity Circles

Purpose For students, this protocol increases movement and social interaction while helping connect subject matter to their own lives. For teachers, it gives insight into student interests and what matters most to them.

Steps

1. Pose the Prompt – “What part of [this subject] connects to something you do, make, or care about outside of school?”

2. Silent Write – Students jot one idea on a sticky note.

3. Circle Up – Place chart paper around the room. Title each with a with broad category, like Sports, Arts, Community, Nature, Technology, Future Goals and a Wildcard Circle for ideas that don’t fit neatly elsewhere. 

4. Post & Share – Students form a  circle near the topic that best matches their interest, post their note, and briefly share.

5. Spot Patterns – As a class, notice clusters and invite a few students to share: What do we have in common? What surprised you?
   

What it Offers

• Anchors learning in student voice.

• Builds movement and peer connection.

• Provides teachers a visible map of student interests to reference in future lessons and projects.

Bright Spots is an ongoing series from the WNC Resilience Project. Each installment captures small tests of change from Western North Carolina schools as they strengthen resilience, belonging, and innovation.