Beginning this 2018-19 school year,  Fridley High School (FHS) has implemented iBelong, a new component of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. Through iBelong, a program implemented by the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) team, high school students take responsibility for themselves through their decisions and actions, and gain greater awareness of how their actions impact others. Additionally, the program is aimed to ensure that all students are validated and feel a sense of belonging, and most importantly, are encouraged to be themselves.

iBelong stands for B - Be the real me; E - Embrace situational appropriateness; L - Learn my responsibilities; O - Own my learning/mistakes; N - Notice my impact on others; G - Graduate. 

“iBelong is all about learning your responsibilities, which can mean a lot of different things in a lot of different places,” said Tara Stefanson, Fridley High School psychologist. “The values that iBelong promotes are also important aspects that can relate to our students after they graduate from high school.” 

Stefanson explained that the concepts are broad, but transferable for students into the real world. iBelong is designed to allow students to realize their impact on others and how they affect the community. In addition to learning one’s own responsibilities and owning learning and mistakes, the program encourages students to bring their authentic self to school every day. 

FHS English teacher Tim Leistikow, who helped create the program, said, “iBelong supports our students by also giving them opportunities to be rewarded for just being who they are. We wanted to celebrate our individualities more explicitly, rather in the past when it was more implicit.”

FHS biology teacher Andrew Haaheim, who also helped to create the program, added, ““We were missing the opportunity to engage, speak to, and make underrepresented cultures feel like they belong here,” Haaheim said. “Our school needs to validate everyone.”

Leistikow said that this connection makes Fridley the “best place to learn and the best place to work.”

“Fridley isn’t the best place because there is a great set of rules that everyone follows - It’s the best place because of all the connections that you make and iBelong drives that more than we did before,” he said.

Students earn Tiger Tickets from teachers and staff members when they are demonstrating the values of iBelong. These tickets can be exchanged for prizes which can include earbuds, phone chargers, school supplies, or more experiential prizes like an opportunity to “pie” a teacher during lunch time, have opportunities to play games and more.

“Our biggest goal is for all our students to feel like they can be themselves here at Fridley,” said Stefanson. “We want all our students to feel like they are a valued member of the community and we want them to be set up for success in whatever path they choose after high school.”

The concept was first introduced during high school English classes on September 25, 2018. The MTSS team also implemented a survey to gather student feedback on the idea. These responses will be delved into deeper as the school year continues, but Leistikow shared that the initial reaction was that students appreciate that the program is a more nuanced approach to thinking about expectations. Student groups will also be formed to gather more student input later in the year.

As an inclusive program, the goal of iBelong is to help build a school-wide culture that encourages students to be the best version of themselves, whatever that may look like, and enjoy Fridley as the best place to learn and the best place to work.