My Place, My Purpose

Students connect identity and belonging to civic purpose. They notice patterns, distinguish observations from assumptions, and choose something they care about enough to investigate. Their Action Research Seed becomes a starting point for civic action research.

Big idea

Belonging helps us see what is working. Paying attention to where belonging is difficult helps us see what may need to change.

Participation and care

Offer more than one way to reflect or share. Students may speak, write, draw, create, work with a partner, use a private response, or pass when a prompt feels personal. Keep student ownership of their stories, examples, and choices at the center.

01 · Prepare

See the learning and gather what you need.

The complete teacher guidance is built into this page. Open a separate file only when it helps you facilitate or gives students a place to work.

Students will

Map places and communities where they experience belonging.
Examine a familiar place from multiple perspectives without claiming to speak for others.
Distinguish an observation from an assumption or proposed solution.
Identify a concern they care about and develop an initial Action Research Seed.

Materials

Paper or a digital writing space.
Pens or markers.
The three-part reflection prompts below.

Teacher background

Belonging is a concrete entry into civic inquiry because students already notice who participates, who is heard, which routines work, and where barriers appear. Help students move from a feeling or complaint toward a question that can be investigated.

02 · Facilitate

Follow the experience flow.

Move through the sequence at a pace that fits your group. These experiences are designed to be concrete, personal, and choice-filled.

Welcome and frame

2 minutes

1
Tell students they will consider where they belong, where belonging may be harder for someone else, and what they care about enough to change.
2
Clarify that they do not need a solution today; they only need to notice what matters.

Where do I belong?

5 minutes

1
Students list or sketch three places where they feel some sense of belonging.
2
They circle one place and finish: “I feel like I belong here when…”
3
In pairs, students may share the place, the sentence, both, or neither.

Look again

6 minutes

1
Students return to the circled place and consider what might make joining, participating, being heard, or feeling safe easier for some people and harder for others.
2
Keep the work grounded in observations and questions—not assumptions or speaking for another person.
3
Model the difference: “Only the same five students answer” is an observation; “Everyone else is lazy” is an assumption.

What do I care about?

5 minutes

1
Students list things that make belonging, participation, or being heard easier—and things that make them more difficult.
2
They star one pattern or concern that bothers or interests them and name why it matters.

Connect and act

10–15 minutes

1
Students create an Action Research Seed: “I care about ___ because ___.” “I have noticed ___.” “I need to hear from or learn more about ___.” “A question worth investigating is ___.”
2
Help them shape a question that can be investigated before deciding what should change.
3
In pairs or trios, students share only what they choose. Partners respond with one curiosity question, not a solution.

03 · Facilitator notes

Keep student ownership at the center.

Use these as reminders, not rules that make the experience feel heavy.

Teacher moves

Keep the focus on spaces, routines, access, patterns, and experiences—not labeling individual classmates as people who do not belong.
Students may examine a school, neighborhood, faith community, team, club, online space, or another community that matters to them.
Guide students away from jumping directly to a solution; invite them to ask what they need to understand first.
Keep sharing voluntary and save the Action Research Seed for Part 4.

04 · Facilitation materials

Open only what you will use.

The teacher guide is already on this page. These supporting files have a separate classroom purpose.

Supporting materialPresentation slidesUse the revised slide deck to lead the experience.Supporting materialStudent Guide 3 · My Place, My PurposeDownloadable belonging reflection and Action Research Seed guide.