Recent articles and news

Publication: Are we doing enough to address loneliness in adolescence? Available in 7 languages.

This first publication of Fit 2 Belong is the culmination of work conducted in the first phase of the Fit2Belong project. Based on extensive desk research and interviews across Europe with young people aged 14-16 years, the researchers have developed a framework that provides guidance for the development of teaching and learning materials for youth who report loneliness. These materials will be created during the Phases 2 and 3 of the Fit2Belong project.

Publication: Are we doing enough to address loneliness in adolescence?

Read more

The Fit to Belong Handbook Published in 7 languages

The FIT TO BELONG HANDBOOK: A GUIDE TO BELONG is now available online in 7 languages. The formal and informal learning and teaching materials in this resource are developed to support adolescents to create a sense of value and belonging within their environments and communities. They are aimed to have a long-term impact on social inclusion and are expected to also have a secondary impact on early school leaving or other issues such as bullying.

FIT TO BELONG HANDBOOK: A GUIDE TO BELONG

Read more

Fit2Belong App deployed on a large scale

The Fit2Belong app has been downloaded more than 500 times and is now deployed in Turkey in the Manisa Social Sciences High School, in Poland in the Technikum Informatyki Edukacji Innowacyjnej, in Serbia in the OS Petar Lekovic in Pozega, and finally in the Asociacija Tavo Europa in Lithuania. More than 500 participants in the trials have downloaded the app and are now using it within their school or oirganisation. The Fit2Belong app is a walled garden social media application for adolescents in schools, youth homes and organisations.

Screenshots of the Fit2Belong app

Read more

About Fit to Belong

Fit to Belong was initiated following publication in the UK of the results of a large-scale survey – the BBC Loneliness Experiment - that explored the role of belongingness in different cultures. In the publication, it was clear that a lack of belonging was a common, but often confusing, experience for adolescents. Based on this data, the project partners decided to look for common solutions to help young people manage their loneliness experiences to feel more connected in their communities and schools.

The project consortium combines the research capacity of academics and the educational expertise of teachers and youth workers related to this issue of belongingness among adolescents, specifically among those in transition years. As project outputs, the partners will develop both formal and informal learning and teaching materials. These outputs will aim at supporting adolescents to create a sense of value and belonging within their environments and communities.