Discovering Gifts in Middle School - Learning in a Caring Culture Called Tribes motivates and supports middle level schools to make adolescents' developmental growth and learning needs - during this most critical stage of their lives - the over-riding focus of the whole school community. The author and her colleagues present a lively synthesis of a wealth of research studies and effective practices which underlie the Tribes Learning Community developmental approach for middle level students and their schools. The synthesis draws upon relevant literature on cognitive theory, human resilience, multiple intelligences, democratic classroom management, cooperative learning, constructivism, social-emotional learning, multicultural-gender equity, reflective practice and authentic assessment. Placing the major emphasis on middle level schools becoming responsive to the contextual basis of adolescent development, leads not only to greater achievement and success for students but to a new spirit, energy and the discovery of gifts throughout the whole school community.