BELONG Partners

BELONG Partners (formerly Sound Discipline) is an education equity nonprofit that believes in a future where everyone thrives because they know they matter and belong.

"This school used to be on fire and now it's a calm, safe place to learn." 
- Principal, BELONG Partners Whole School

For 15 years, we have partnered with schools and organizations predominately in marginalized communities, across the Pacific Northwest, to build equitable communities where students have dignity, voice, and agency. 

Our unique approach challenges traditional practices and systems in education that rely on compliance, punishment, rewards, and exclusion. 

We work alongside educators, forging strong relationships over time that challenge the status quo and ignite transformative change. Our approach integrates brain science, trauma-responsive, culturally relevant, and restorative practices, with social-emotional learning (SEL) strategies 
and data analysis. 

"I would recommend this workshop to any colleague because it builds a common ground that we all need to start from if we are going to teach for liberation. [BELONG Partners] makes the systemic landscape very clear and shows the connection to how we can undermine oppression by empowering students and empowering ourselves through belonging and connection." 
- Educator participant in the BELONG Partners workshop "Rooted Relationships: Growing Equitable Classroom Communities"

Partnering with us enables schools and youth-serving organizations to shift adult mindsets, cultivate equitable communities where students thrive academically and socially, and shrink racial disparities.

“Our stronger collaboration with families this year could not have happened without the support of BELONG Partners, who truly helped us to foster better partnerships with the families of our kids so that they all may increase their sense of belonging in our school.”  
- Administrator, BELONG Partners partner school 

 belongpartners.org