Student Connectedness Project
Co-creating welcoming spaces where every student is connected to an adult, peers, and a purpose
About
The Student Connectedness Project invites student teams to become learners, leaders, and designers of school connectedness. Together, students will explore how to ensure that every student is connected to adults, peers, purpose, and a welcoming space.
Through interactive virtual sessions, collaboration, and design challenges, students will create actionable strategies that strengthen connectedness in their schools.
What You’ll Do
- Explore what connectedness looks like
- Learn design thinking tools to co-create and test ideas
- Collaborate with peers and mentors to solve real challenges
- Launch a design sprint for your school/classroom/grade level
Why it Matters
When students are connected to caring adults, supportive peers, purposeful activities, and welcoming spaces, they thrive. Together, students will co-design schools where connection drives success and every student belongs.
Who Should Join
- Student leadership teams, advisory groups, clubs, etc.
- Adult mentors partnering with students
The Four Components of Connectedness
Dream It
Create It
Connected to Adults
The Power of Caring Relationships
Discover how caring adult relationships can change a student’s experience. Design ways your school can ensure every student is “known.”
Connected to Peers
Building Inclusive Communities
Learn strategies to strengthen peer relationships, foster inclusion, and create a sense of belonging across all student groups.
Connected to Purpose
Prosocial Activities That Inspire
Explore how service learning, clubs, and community projects give students purpose and connection. Design opportunities for every student to participate in meaningful, purpose-driven activities.
Connected to a Welcoming Space
Designing Schools Where Everyone Feels Welcome and Supported
Examine what makes a space feel welcoming and inclusive. Design school environments- physical, virtual, and social where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
Virtual Events
A series of virtual webinars, planning, and office hours highlight this project. The project will culminate in a Virtual Showcase on April 29, 2026. We offer flexible meeting times for each session at either 11:30am-12:30pm ET and 5:00pm-6:00pm ET.
Project Kick-Off Meeting
January 14, 2026
Join us for our Project Kick-Off Meeting to learn about the Student Connectedness Program and its components.
Connected to Adults
The Power of Caring Relationships
January 28, 2026
- Explore research on how trusting adults can significantly impact student engagement
- Share: Practical models, tools for mapping relationships, and other ways students are “known” by adults in the building or at school
- Work together to design opportunities to connect, helping students build trust, support, and lasting relationships with adults and peers
Connected to Peers
Building Inclusive Communities
February 11, 2026
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Understanding the role of peer relationships in agency, belonging, and connectedness and the connection to attendance, behavior and course performance
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Explore student-led activities and collaborative learning spaces
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Healthy social media positive peer networks (i.e., the math initiative by the students in DC)
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Shared practices that elevate student voice and shared responsibility
Connected to Purpose
Prosocial Activities that Inspire
February 25, 2026
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Explore research on how prosocial engagement builds self-efficacy, empathy, and long-term success
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Understanding the link between purpose-driven engagement and improved attendance, motivation and graduation outcomes
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Explore how participation in pro-social activities such as learning, clubs, mentoring, arts, athletics, and community projects help students develop a sense of purpose and belonging
Connected to a Welcoming Space
Co-Designing Schools Where Everyone Feels Welcome and Supported
March 11, 2026
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Understand how environment, culture, and relationships create safety and belonging
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Explore how schools can co-design welcoming spaces, both in person and virtually
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Identify practices that ensure every student feels seen, valued, and respected
Office Hours Sign-up
March 25, 2026
Plan. Design. Create.
Resources
Communications
Program Description
Download these materials to help promote the Student Connected Program to your peers, students, parents, and community.
Program
Tools
These materials can be used to assist you and your team to engage in design activities.
Learnings from the On Track to Career Success Project
This report details the resources that are at the heart of the project’s efforts to co-design with students and the educators, families, and communities who support them.
The On Track to Career Success (OTCS) project is an effort to co-create a framework that seamlessly combines elements of high school redesign, youth development and engagement, workforce development, and career preparation and readiness using evidence-based practices that build skills and open pathways to jobs and careers through educational and workplace experiences.
Resources from Cross State High School Redesign Collaborative
The Cross State High School Redesign Collaborative is a project of the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University built around a hopeful, positive, future-orientated framework to redesign high schools for the 21st Century. They offer a wide variety of evidence-based research, resources, and practices on incporating students and student voice in high school redesign efforts.