Ways to practice positive childhood experiences through engagement
The Four Building Blocks of HOPE are key types of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) that all children need to thrive. The Building Block of social and civic engagement gets children involved in something bigger than themselves, instilling a sense of mattering, belonging, and importance.
There are many ways to practice PCEs through engagement, including participating in after-school activities, volunteering in the community, and completing special tasks in the classroom. These opportunities can happen at home, at school, in the community, and with friends and families.
Creating moments of engagement does not require a large budget or time commitment. Reflect on your day-to-day interactions with children and families and challenge yourself to find ways to build a sense of belonging and connection. Here are some ideas:
- Assign a child a special job or task that they are solely responsible for getting done. This can be as simple as setting the dinner table at home or pushing chairs into tables at the end of the day at school.
- Each homeroom period, promote one student as the Captain and have them lead an activity.
- Support community building during play time by letting children work out the game rules on their own. Or play the game with rules they have made up, showing them that their thoughts and ideas influence something outside of themselves.
Types of engagement opportunities
The Building Block of engagement, and how to increase this important type of PCEs, can look different for each child and community. Below are examples and questions to help you understand and create more opportunities for engagement.
At school
The classroom is the perfect space to encourage students to engage with each other, from participating in today’s lesson to engaging in meaningful conversations before, during, and after the class period. All this engagement helps create a welcoming school community.
Questions to consider
- How can you get feedback from students? What do they say about the classrooms at school? What is their favorite thing to do at school?
- What are ways to include dedicated engagement time during a lesson plan or school-organized activity?
After school
After-school clubs and sports are a great way for students to engage in something bigger than themselves. Sports provide a team-based structure for working together to win a game. Clubs provide a space to connect with similar interests and work together on a project.
Questions to consider
- Does your school community offer after-school activities?
- What are the trending sports or clubs that students are most interested in participating in?
- Are there other social and civic-based activities that can be offered at your school?
In the community
Community engagement helps children and families connect and make a difference for the greater good of their community. It can be volunteering at a local charity, going to a religious space like a church or temple, or participating in events like local holiday celebrations and community drives.
Questions to consider
- What activities and events does your community currently organize?
- Who does your community look like? What are the ways you can help connect community groups across cultures and generations?
Why engagement matters for children’s health and well-being
Creating opportunities for engagement for children and youth is more than keeping them busy and giving them structure. Civic and social engagement helps children grow by working on their strengths and discovering their self-importance in their community. Engagement, along with the remaining Building Blocks of HOPE, helps children build resilience and grow into healthy adults, ready to navigate the world around them.
