The infrastructure that
makes belonging possible.
For every student. By design.
OUR WORK
Belonging expertise for education systems & nonprofits
Dr. Julie DiPilato and Dr. Jonathan Page bring doctoral research, practitioner experience, and a shared conviction: belonging isn't a soft skill — it's the infrastructure that makes everything else possible.
That's what we build!
🏫 For Educational Systems
From classroom culture to campus climate, we help schools and districts build environments where every student feels seen, valued, and positioned to succeed.
✓ Professional development on belonging and humanizing pedagogy
✓ Critical Consciousness development for educator teams
✓ Asset-based, culturally sustaining curriculum frameworks
✓ MyCAP implementation support (grades 6–12)
✓ Student transition programming and belonging audits
✓ Strategic planning for BIPOC student retention & equity
🏢 For Nonprofits
Belonging drives retention, engagement, and performance. We work with employers and organizations to build cultures where all employees — especially those from historically marginalized groups — can thrive.
✓ Belonging and inclusion culture assessments
✓ Onboarding frameworks that foster connection from day one
✓ Research-backed DEI training and facilitation
✓ Career pathway development for underrepresented employees
✓ Community partnership and school-to-career bridge programs
✓ Keynotes, workshops, and consulting engagements
For more information on how our work can help industry and other for-profit organizations visit BeyondFittingIn.com.
RESEARCH AS THE FOUNDATION
Our work is grounded in doctoral research
Both founders completed Doctorates in Education at Northeastern University, with dissertations focused squarely on the science and practice of belonging.
Dr. Julie DiPilato
Co-Founder · Educational Belonging Researcher
EdD, Northeastern University · 2025
Julie's dissertation, Beyond Fitting In: Creating a Classroom Culture to Foster Student Belonging, examined how to improve educators' understanding of student belonging and humanizing practices in a K–8 setting. Her action research introduced Critical Consciousness development to educator teams, shifting classrooms from deficit-based thinking toward asset-based, community-centered learning cultures.
Humanizing pedagogy Asset-based mindset Critical Consciousness. Community Cultural Wealth Middle School Belonging
Dr. Jonathan Page
Co-Founder · Higher Education Belonging Researcher
EdD, Northeastern University · 2024
Jonathan's dissertation, Finding a Place for Us: Improving the Social Connectedness and Sense of Belonging for Black Students at a PWI, investigated the lived experiences of Black students at a predominantly white institution and developed the BOND New Student Transition Program — a structured intervention that measurably improved social connection, retention, and sense of belonging.
BIPOC Student Belonging Campus Climate Student Retention Transition Programming
PWI Equity
"Belonging is not about fitting in — it's about being able to show up fully as yourself and knowing that your presence, your voice, and your future matter here."
— The Belonging Network Research Framework
WHY BELONGING MATTERS
Belonging is
more than feeling welcome
Career exploration in middle school too often depends on who a teacher happens to know, or whether a district has the budget for a career day. Students from under-resourced communities — who most need structured access to professional networks — are most likely to go without. We're changing that.
66%
Persistence rate for Black students at PWIs — the lowest of any group — often tied directly to a lack of belonging and social connection
9%
Gap in 4-year graduation rates between Black and White students at institutions without intentional belonging infrastructure
100%
Of students deserve to see themselves in a future they've chosen — not just the ones whose networks open doors
WHAT BELONGING ACTUALLY MEANS
What belonging actually means
Belonging is the perceived sense that one is valued, seen, and accepted as a full person — not despite difference, but including it. It's the experience of mattering. When students and employees feel a genuine sense of belonging, outcomes change measurably: retention increases, engagement deepens, and people invest in the communities they're part of.
Our work draws on two distinct research traditions — Dr. DiPilato's classroom-level practice research and Dr. Page's institutional-level equity research — to offer a multi-layered approach that works at every level of a system.
👁️ Being Seen
Students and employees need to see themselves reflected in curriculum, leadership, and culture — not as guests in someone else's institution.
🔗 Social Connection
Quality relationships, not just access, define belonging. Our frameworks build real networks — not just proximity.
🌱 Identity & Agency
Belonging means knowing your interests, naming your strengths, and believing your goals are within reach — on your own terms.
Ready to build belonging
into your institution?
Whether you're a school district, a higher education institution, or a nonprofit organization
looking to make belonging a structural reality — we'd love to talk.