A Two-Part Special Event Webinar
The Belonging Need is a two-part webinar series developed by the highly sought after speaker Gaelin Elmore, whose perspective, voice, and experience brings immeasurable value to improving how we support belonging, permanency, and well-being for children and youth.
About Gaelin Elmore
After a childhood filled with trauma, abuse, neglect and homelessness, Gaelin Elmore believed his issues would be solved if he became successful. From college football to signing an NFL contract, Elmore was driven, even comforted, by this assumption. It wasn't until he achieved what he thought was "success" (making it to the NFL), that he finally realized he had been wrong all along. And so, Elmore retired as a rookie to begin his journey of self-love, self-discovery and belonging. That journey has led Elmore here today, and to stages all across the country, aiming to inspire, encourage and equip others, to erase the belonging gap plaguing youth with adverse childhood experiences.
About The Belonging Need Series
Belonging is a vital component of human flourishing. Youth who have experienced traumatic and adverse situations often lack a sense of belonging, which can hinder their relationships, their ability to accept help, their development, and their future. Through your work and organization, you have a unique opportunity to address the issue of the belonging gap by helping young people experience belonging and unleash their potential. But in order to meet belonging needs for youth through your work, we must address the other areas where belonging may not be present. During our time together, we will explore just that. Using the four different directions of belonging (in, horizontal, vertical, and out), we will develop the necessary awareness required to create a belonging-informed team, organization, and workforce.
The Belonging Need - Part 1: January 11, 2024, 9am - 12pm
In part one, we will focus on developing awareness by focusing on the first two directions of belonging.
- Internal belonging: Why belonging matters for everyone, belonging's impact on brain development, and belonging's impact on future success.
- Horizontal belonging: Why belonging matters between peers and how horizontal belonging can directly impact the work you do.
The Belonging Need - Part 2: January 25, 2024, 9am - 12pm
In part two, we will continue to develop awareness and brainstorm avenues of implementation by focusing on the last two directions of belonging.
- Vertical belonging: Why belonging matters regardless of title or status and how belonging across an organization can create opportunities or barriers to our work.
- External belonging: How child welfare, ACEs, and trauma create a belonging deficit if our work is not belonging-informed.
Part two will also share success stories of belonging implementation and its impact, and brainstorm belonging for the work you do.