District 97 Launches Cross-Agency Partnership to Strengthen Relationships with Middle Schoolers

Every middle school student deserves to create and maintain developmental relationships, regardless of their background or circumstances. Still–many young people miss these opportunities.

Developmental relationships are the close connections with adults, near-peers, and peers through which young people discover who they are, gain abilities to shape their own lives, and learn how to interact with and contribute to the world around them.

On Nov. 10, more than 300 staff members from Brooks and Julian middle schools came together with 30 youth-serving staff members from the Oak Park Public Library and Park District of Oak Park for a first-ever, cross-agency workshop to address barriers and strengthen developmental relationships with middle schoolers.

"Today's learning is preparing us to develop the youth of Oak Park in a collaborative way. Whether our middle school students are at Brooks or Julian or engaging in out-of-school time learning at the library or the park district, we want them to know the adults are here to support their success," said District 97 Superintendent Dr. Ushma Shah.

Led by Assistant Superintendent of Middle Schools Dr. Luis Fernando De Leòn, along with Joslyn Bowling Dixon, Executive Director of Oak Park Public Library, Jan Arnold, Executive Director of Park District of Oak Park, and Shah, workshop facilitators from the Search Institute introduced the five core components of the Developmental Relationships Framework—expressed in 20 specific actions—that research shows results in powerful relationships with young people.

“We recognize the interconnectedness of our community and understand that a middle schooler’s life extends beyond school hours,” said Dr. Luis Fernando De Leòn, Assistant Superintendent of Middle Schools. “In middle school–a time for self-discovery, exploration, and risk-taking–having systems and supportive adults who understand the specific needs of this age group is key. Through a shared understanding of youth development across agencies and a framework for creating developmental relationships, we can intentionally build these crucial connections with all our students.” 

During the workshop, participants learned about the core components–-express care, challenge growth, provide support, share power, and expand possibilities– and discussed practical ways to put these concepts into practice. 

“We’re thrilled to be a part of this work and believe that our community thrives through collaboration,” said Arnold. “We recognize that no one agency can fully address the health and well-being of our youth, but together we can create the environment that will contribute to our youth’s growth and development. From a recreational perspective, we welcome the opportunity to work collectively to foster relationships and create the climate necessary for our youth to succeed.”

Research has shown that developmental relationships in and outside of the schools result in increased academic motivation, self-management, relationship skills, responsible decision-making, social awareness, self-awareness, and sense of personal responsibility, as well as reduced engagement in high-risk behaviors.

“The Oak Park Public Library prioritizes relationship building and meaningful collaboration, so we are more than happy to join forces with our local middle schools and other public agencies to help cultivate the conditions in which all youth can thrive,” said Dixon. 

“At the library, our dedicated Middle & High School Services team members work hard every day to support students with the wealth of resources our library has to offer, including collaborative mentorship programs for youth to build relationships and grow in their schoolwork, college and career readiness, health, relationships, and overall confidence and self-awareness. Above all, we strive to be a welcoming environment for our middle school students, especially after school, and that's a crucial part of being a library for everyone.”

With this new learning and common language, the middle schools will work to integrate the Developmental Relationships Framework into their systems and practices. These relationships will be foundational to the implementation of the Portrait of an 8th Grade Graduate as well, which looks at in and outside of school time, and will support the middle school redesign and school improvement process. 

“We are fortunate to have partners at the library and park district who offer vital support and resources to our students and are like-minded in their commitment to form strong, supportive relationships,” De León said. “It’s powerful seeing the collective commitment in our community to applying these strategies in our daily lives and work, ensuring that every middle schooler feels like they belong in Oak Park. We look forward to continuing this critical work together.”