The BELONG Program is a research-informed Tier 2 support for middle schoolers who've experienced bullying — designed to complement your school-wide efforts, not add to your workload.
Refer a student →Your school's Tier 1 efforts — assemblies, classroom curricula, school-wide culture initiatives — do important work. But some students need more targeted support than universal programming can provide.
The BELONG Program is designed for exactly those students. It's a structured, small-group Tier 2 intervention for middle schoolers who've experienced bullying — research-informed, facilitator-led, and focused on the student who was targeted.
Because it runs online and outside school hours, it requires no classroom time, no staff coverage, and no scheduling disruption. You refer the student. We do the rest.
Outside Support is a partner, not a replacement. Here's what referring a student actually looks like from your end.
The BELONG Program is grounded in research from the BRAVE Lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln — one of the country's leading bullying research programs. When you refer a student, you're referring them to something that works.
Sessions happen online, outside school hours. No classroom time lost, no scheduling conflicts, no staff required on your end. Students attend from home, on a schedule that works for their family.
Because the program draws students from across the country, we guarantee that no student is ever grouped with someone from their own school. That's what makes middle schoolers actually willing to open up.
Students are placed in small groups of peers the same gender. That intentional structure makes the program more relevant and the peer connections more meaningful.
Every group is led by a facilitator trained in the BELONG Program curriculum. Consistent, intentional, and quality-controlled — every session, every group.
Once you make the introduction, we take it from there — connecting with families, explaining the program, and managing enrollment. Minimal lift on your end.
The BELONG Program is directly built on the work of the BRAVE Lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The BELONG pilot, run through the lab, tested this approach with real middle schoolers: students left with a better understanding of their experiences, stronger problem-solving skills, and — critically — the sense that they weren't alone.
Dr. Susan Swearer — Willa Cather Professor of Educational Psychology at UNL, a licensed psychologist, and director of the BRAVE Lab — serves as a research advisor to Outside Support.
Meet our team and advisors →We've designed the referral process to be as simple as possible for schools. No paperwork on your end, no coordination burden — just a warm introduction and we'll handle the rest.
Give us your contact information and we'll follow up to answer your questions and see if the program is a good fit for your student.
With your introduction, we reach out to the family, explain the program, and guide them through enrollment.
We work with families to find a time outside of school hours, and the student joins an online group.
Current groups are being supported out of the University of Nebraska BRAVE Lab. Once you submit a referral, someone from our staff will follow up shortly.