School to Belong – Scaling the Fight Against Loneliness with HelsinkiMissio
[01]
Project overview.
Netlight partnered with HelsinkiMissio to support the vision behind their School to Belong program: helping every student feel seen, included, and valued. As the program grew to over 150 schools, HelsinkiMissio’s mission to create belonging for young people was often slowed down by manual, time-consuming data collection and reporting. Together, we set out to remove those barriers – so staff could spend less time with spreadsheets, and more time making a difference in young lives.
[02]
Challenge & Approach.
The biggest challenge was the overwhelming workload placed on educators and staff, who were managing complex data processes in addition to their daily work with students. Netlight’s approach began with listening to stakeholders and educators to understand their needs, then designing a cloud-based, automated solution that was scalable, engaging, and easy to use. We worked with HelsinkiMissio every step of the way, focusing on intuitive reports and maintenance-friendly architecture, so schools of all sizes and technical abilities could benefit.
[03]
The
Impact.
With this new tool, weeks of manual data work have been transformed into minutes. The technology now quietly supports the mission, freeing up HelsinkiMissio’s limited resources to focus more directly on building connections and battling loneliness in schools. By reducing administrative burdens and simplifying information, educators can now focus on what matters most: making every student feel seen, supported, and truly part of their community.
