At Berkshire, belonging shows up anywhere, everywhere, and every day, whether it is a pat on the back from your teammate after a challenging game, a wave from your friend to join them at a dining hall booth, or an affinity group you strongly associate with. 

 Nonetheless, belonging is difficult when we seek to fit in, meet new people, and try hard things. In the hope of helping Berkshire students and adults feel a sense of belonging and inclusion, we have launched the Berkshire Belonging Collective!

    With faculty and students working together, we have created a new school-wide initiative of 30 members, aiming to define belonging at Berkshire and help improve the school with intention. Rather than assuming what belonging looks like, we thoughtfully listen, learn, and act on lived experience.

    At the heart of our collective is an intentional process of collecting stories and making changes. Both students and faculty members gather lived experiences from across campus, highlighting moments of inclusion and areas where belonging needs strengthening. 

 These experiences are recorded anonymously as “story logs,” allowing us to look beyond individual situations and instead identify broader patterns. By studying these patterns, we will gain a better understanding of where belonging is supported, where challenges arise, and where improvement is important. 

 Insights will then be shared with the entire school, helping inform decisions, practices, and community norms that reflect real experiences at Berkshire.

    At the Belonging Collective, we aim to better understand the student experience and foster a stronger, more inclusive school community. By grounding decisions in lived experience, we hope to ensure that belonging at Berkshire is intentional, sustainable, and shared.