The Hope Squad was established at Whitewater High School (WHS) in 2022 to reduce youth suicide through education, training & peer intervention. Suicide prevention involves education and increasing mental health, connectedness & resilience within the student body. Intervention involves recognizing when someone is at risk for suicide and referring the person to supportive resources.
Hope Squad members were inspired by the Yellow Tulip Project (https://theyellowtulipproject.org/our-mission/) and participated in a Hope Garden Planting Ceremony in the Circle Drive at WHS on Thursday, October 13. Yellow tulips have come to symbolize hope & resilience as they persevere through the winter and bloom beautifully in the spring. They remind us that even in the darkest places - circumstances can and will change.
Hope Squad members & advisors would like to thank Paul Majors and his students in Horticulture and Landscaping classes for helping prepare the soil before the ceremony. They also would like to thank Tracy Wilson & the organization Working for Whitewater's Wellness (W3) for their support and encouragement. Here is a photo story with pictures of the Hope Garden Planting Ceremony: