In this talk, Dr. Kent Pekel shares five essential actions that adults can take to build developmental relationships with young people in families, schools, programs, and other settings. Using findings from Search Institute's research and his personal story, Pekel provides powerful but also practical ideas for anyone who wants to create connections with kids that put them on the path to thrive. Kent Pekel is an educational leader who has worked at the school, district, state, federal, and university levels. Throughout his diverse career, he has sought to bridge research, practice, and policy to help young people from marginalized communities learn and thrive. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx