The High School Hope Squad recently held its first event and encouraged students to write their “Reasons to Stay.”

Hope Squad is a youth suicide prevention program comprised of about 20 high school students. Students who are selected to be in Hope Squad must have permission from their parents or guardians to undergo training with advisor Darrian Difatta, a teacher in the high school, to be aware of warning signs and to act when someone is struggling by referring them to an administrator, counselor or another mental health professional at Deer Lakes.

Hope Squad students aim to show empathy for their peers and to reduce the stigma of mental illness and seeking help.