The foundation of our presentation is how culture and relationships affect how we think and, in turn, how we act. This speaks directly to four critical supports: Inspiration and Engagement, Innovation Know-How, Focus on Experience, and Relationships. Truesdell could only be transformed by a radical rethinking of what it means to support all students. We understand reaching a child’s mind requires us first to build a relationship with that child. The start of this relationship brought something that had been missing in the culture of the school, hope. A “business as usual” approach is not an effective model for teaching to the level demanded by our society. We had to innovate. Finally, we understand the value of “being in the goal”. Being in the goal is our partnership with local colleges, where our students regularly interact with college students who look like and have similar backgrounds as our students do. We look forward to sharing our strategies for success.