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The week of October 7-11 the NS HOPE Squad raised awareness of mental health struggles by hosting a HOPE week.
Mental health issues have steadily increased over the past decade. Suicide is becoming an occurring problem and is one of the leading causes of death for teens. Teens and adults across America have seen this problem and are creating a solution to help those struggling.
“HOPE week was founded by [Matt Kloepfer] who worked for Provo School District and they were having a lot of deaths by suicide,” social worker Lindsay Beesley said. “He wanted to do something so he rallied kids and they made a squad. The idea was that these kids could be people you could go to whenever you’re struggling.”
Since its inception in the Provo School District, HOPE Week has had a profound impact on students’ mental health and well-being by dedicating an entire week to activities focused on kindness, support and mental health education. These activities try to provide students with tools to know and control their emotions but also to cultivate a sense of belonging.
NS had many activities throughout the week such as “Just Keep Floating” where HOPE Squad members handed out root beer floats during lunch, “Love your Selfie” where you got to take Polaroids with your friends and write cute messages on them, “Just keep Swimming” where the HOPE Squad handed out Swedish Fish, and “Pledge Day” where you pledged to uphold the standards of HOPE Week and got to enroll in a drawing.
By focusing on mental well-being, the district aims to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues and empower students to seek help when needed.
“I joined Hope Squad because I had a friend who had suicidal thoughts,” senior HOPE Squad president Jaywel Butil said. “She cried to me every night and so then at the end of my freshman year I learned that there is a group of people that does prevention suicide so I joined.I tried to help my friend and to get the counselors and the teachers involved in Hope Squad so they know that this is happening.”
In the U.S. surveys, they have found that about 15-20 percent of high school students report having seriously considered suicide in the past year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that while exact figures can fluctuate, estimates suggest that about 1 in 10 young people may die by suicide in their lifetime.
Senior Jaywel Butil, who is new to NS this year, joined the HOPE Squad because she has seen how it can impact students.
“In my old school,” Butil said, “there were a lot of suicides in the community and the HOPE Squad did a great job for letting people know that this happening in the community and they need to do something about it.”
The HOPE Squad has had an impact at NS and on the community. They have served and continue to serve as support for students facing severe depression and anxiety. They have fostered an environment where open discussions about mental health are encouraged by organizing activities such as awareness campaigns and peer support programs. The HOPE Squad members have created a safe space for students to share their experiences and seek help, demonstrating that vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness.
“HOPE Week is now over,” Butil said, “but I just want people to continue to be nice; it wouldn’t hurt someone to be nice. If you think of something bad just don’t say it, there’s no reason to say it out loud. Say hi to people and give them compliments, take the chance to compliment someone instead of just thinking it. Compliments positively impact someone’s mood and self-esteem so just be nice.”
