Promoting Community Belonging

Previous research has determined that having a sense of community belonging can help reduce youth's criminal involvement. Given this, the HKPR Regional HSJCC initiated the current project to explore and identify youth programs that promote and/or create the conditions to enhance youth's sense of belonging. The aim of this project was to determine what types of programs promote community belonging; identify how these programs were distributed within Haliburton, the City of Kawartha Lakes and Northumberland; and analyze how these programs were structured in terms of barriers and commonalities. Using a qualitative approach data was collected through a literature review, an environmental scan and interviews. Results revealed that multiple terms indicate community belonging, and that a diverse range of programs can help enhance this feeling. Programs identified in each of the research areas tended to be located within close proximity to one another, and were not evenly distributed. Comparisons of the programs also revealed that the most common barriers youth face to participation are financially and accessibility related. Future suggestions include: addressing these barriers, and working to better inform these communities of the impact that having a sense of community belonging can have for youth. Considering educationally based programing, program structures that view at- risk youth positively, and incorporating positive role models are recommended as future directions in developing an ideal youth program. Involving youth in continued research is also strongly suggested to enhance their sense of belonging while mitigating potential criminal involvement.