Building Friendship, Inclusion, and Leadership

At Dwyer Middle School, inclusion is a lived experience. Now in its second year, Dwyer’s Best Buddies chapter is strengthening friendships and expanding opportunities for students of all abilities to learn, lead, and connect. Guided by program advisors Danielle Gilliland and Colin Priebe, the school’s chapter aligns with Best Buddies' mission of fostering one-to-one friendships, developing student leaders, and promoting a culture where every student belongs.

Dwyer launched Best Buddies as a natural extension of its longstanding commitment to kindness, belonging, and community. 

“We wanted to create intentional opportunities for students with and without disabilities to build real friendships, not only coexist on campus,” said Danielle Gilliland. “Best Buddies allows inclusion to be something students actively experience every day.”

Approximately 30 students participate in the program, including students with disabilities and peer buddies. Students can join at the beginning of the school year or throughout the year as interest grows through teacher recommendations, schoolwide announcements, and word of mouth. According to Gilliland, one of the most encouraging indicators of success has been the number of students who ask to join after seeing the program in action.

Each month, students participate in a mix of low-pressure, high-connection activities, including social lunches, team-building games, themed events, crafts, trivia, and shared meals. These shared experiences are designed to strengthen communication, social skills, confidence, and leadership while fostering a strong sense of belonging on campus.

“The heart of Best Buddies is helping students feel seen, valued, and connected,” Gilliland shared. “We’ve seen friendships form organically, and we’ve watched students grow more confident, more social, and more willing to advocate for themselves.”

The impact extends to peer buddies as well. Through the program, students develop empathy, leadership skills, and a deeper understanding of inclusion, often carrying those lessons beyond Best Buddies meetings and into their everyday interactions on campus.

“Peer buddies grow in responsibility and leadership,” Gilliland added. “Many take initiative to include others, not just during our activities, but throughout the school day.”

The program also closely aligns with Dwyer’s focus on GRIT—Gratitude, Responsibility, Integrity, and Tenacity–encouraging students to live out these values through daily acts of kindness and responsibility. As the program has grown, so has students’ desire to take ownership of what inclusion looks like in action, leading to the launch of a new initiative that blends friendship with real-world learning.

Last month, Dwyer celebrated the debut of Best Buddies Brew, a student-run coffee cart inspired by the coffee cart program at Sowers Middle School. 

“Best Buddies Brew was created as a way to give students real-world, hands-on life skills while building confidence and independence,” Gilliland explained. “It allows students to practice communication, teamwork, and responsibility in a fun and meaningful way.”

On Brew days, students work together to set up the cart, process orders, prepare drinks and snacks, collect money, and deliver to staff across campus. Through these shared responsibilities, students practice customer service, time management, executive functioning, job readiness, and teamwork. 

Best Buddies Brew is supported by grant funds from the Assistance League Links to Learning Program, which helped Dwyer purchase the equipment and supplies needed to bring the initiative to life. Since its launch, staff members have become enthusiastic customers, cheering on students and celebrating each successful delivery.

“Some of our shyest students stepped out of their comfort zones,” Gilliland recalled. “They confidently delivered drinks, interacted with staff, and took pride in their roles. It was a powerful reminder that you never know what will click for a student until you give them the opportunity to try something new.”

Dwyer’s Best Buddies program reflects what inclusion looks like when students are empowered to connect, contribute, and grow together. Whether through friendships formed over lunch or confidence built while delivering a cup of coffee, students are developing skills and relationships that will serve them far beyond middle school, helping ensure Dwyer remains a place where every student belongs.