The 2023-2024 Belonging Project Grants, led by Dr. Heather Coleman and alongside three Ph.D. students in the Department of Specialized Education Services (SES) – Kyle Dunlap, Rahaf Alsaidalani, and Faris Alshahrani – aim to engage a sense of belonging among the department’s doctoral students at UNC Greensboro. This initiative seeks to hold more events to meet the needs of doctoral students and faculty members in the SES department to build an interactive community.
Through several events, doctoral students have the opportunity to be involved in meaningful discussions on topics linked to the field of special education, including global perspectives and diverse educational approaches to teaching students with disabilities. For instance, the first event of the SES iBelong was held in October, and it was an informal discussion about special education from an international perspective. Led by a Ph.D. student from the SES department, the panel included speakers from different countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ghana, and Saudi Arabia. Attendees were the department chair, faculty members, and other Ph.D. students, contributing to a diverse dialogue. Another brown bag event will be dedicated to students presenting their research and getting feedback from peers and faculty.
On the other hand, this initiative seeks doctoral students and faculty members to become familiar with the diverse experiences and cultures between them and the department’s faculty members since the department includes diverse international students from countries around the world. Thus, by creating spaces for academic exchange, social interaction, and cultural communication the initiative aims to empower students to feel valued and connected within their academic program. As a result, the doctoral student leaders and Dr. Coleman will host social events to build a sense of community. The first such social event, named Winter Welcome Back for SES Doctoral Students and Faculty, was held in January. The next event was hosted in February and was dedicated to minimizing stress and promoting well-being and belonging.
To sum up, the 2023-2024 iBelong project represents a proactive step toward developing leadership skills development among graduate students at UNCG, besides contributing to an inclusive educational experience during their Ph.D. journey.
