September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness, sharing resources, and reminding individuals that help and hope are always available. At Quaker Valley High School, that conversation is being led by the Hope Squad.
Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention and mental wellness program built around idea that students play an important role in looking out for each other. Through ongoing training and connections with trusted adults, Hope Squad ambassadors learn how to intentionally connect with their classmates, recognize when a peer may need support, listen with empathy, and encourage them to seek help from a trusted adult.
For tenth grader Cate Leghorn, that sense of connection is one of the most important things Hope Squad can bring to QVHS.
“I just think Hope Squad is such a supportive place,” Cate said. “Everyone who is part of it is so nice and caring, and it’s just a positive environment overall.”
Her goals for the group are simple: “I hope that Hope Squad improves the connectedness of the full high school and spreads positivity.”
Hope Squad members are not expected to serve as counselors or solve their peers’ problems. Instead, they are part of a larger support network at QVHS. They are students who are equipped to notice, listen, care, and connect while participating in the everyday activities of high school.
QVHS counselors Samantha Banks and Gina Gordon along with QVHS teacher Carolyn Miller serve as the group’s sponsors. Together, they say they have already seen these skills in action with their Hope Squad members.
“Our QVHS Hope Squad ambassadors are genuinely passionate about fulfilling Hope Squad’s mission of supporting and uplifting their peers,” shared Dr. Gina Gordon, QVHS counselor. “We have witnessed firsthand the courage, compassion, and empathy they demonstrate in their interactions with others.”
That mission, they added, is ultimately about helping students access the support available to them.
“They are deeply committed to the well-being of their classmates and are willing to encourage peers who may be struggling to connect with a trusted adult and access the support they need.”
During the week of Sept. 8, QVHS school counselors visited ninth-grade classrooms to introduce students to Hope Squad, explain its mission, and encourage students to get involved. These classroom visits provided an opportunity to begin conversations about mental health, supporting friends, and seeking help while introducing QVHS’s newest students to a program they can help shape in the years ahead.
The first full Hope Squad meeting of the school year will take place in October, beginning a series of monthly trainings designed to empower members and build the skills they need to support their peers.
Through those trainings, students will learn more about listening, recognizing when someone may need additional support, connecting peers with trusted adults, and understanding the boundaries of their role.
According to the sponsors, the peer-to-peer approach empowers students to become “positive agents of change” within their school community. Their participation in ongoing training also helps them develop the compassion and confidence needed to encourage more open and supportive conversations about mental health.
That training is about more than learning how to help someone else. Students are also developing skills they can apply to their own lives.
Tenth-grader Halle Myers said Hope Squad has helped her think differently about establishing healthy boundaries, which is something she now hopes she can model for others.
“One of the biggest things for me is building boundaries,” Halle said. “Whenever I talk to people, I’m always like, ‘It’s okay to say no,’ because people have that fear of not being able to put that boundary up.”
Hope Squad, she said, has made it easier for her to communicate when she needs space while recognizing that setting a boundary does not mean rejecting someone else.
For senior Evan James, Hope Squad has created an outlet for conversations he might not otherwise have.
“I’ve never really had a group that I can talk about all this without feeling uncomfortable talking about it,” Evan said.
Those conversations have also given him greater confidence to check in with friends and move beyond surface-level interactions.
“It’s given me the confidence to check up on my friends [and] get into deep conversations with my friends,” he said.
The experience has even influenced his creativity. Evan said conversations through Hope Squad have inspired some of the work he is developing for AP Art, giving him another way to explore what others may be thinking and feeling.
On Friday, Sept. 18, Hope Squad ambassadors will join members of QV Voice to recognize Suicide Prevention Awareness Day at QVHS.
During all high school lunch periods, students will have opportunities to access mental health and suicide prevention information and resources.
The effort will extend into the broader Quaker Valley community that evening during the QVHS home football game against McGuffey. Hope Squad, QV Voice, and Quaker Valley Cheer will join forces to raise awareness and remind students and community members that support is available.
Guests will be invited to stop by the groups’ table to access mental health and suicide prevention resources and create a positive message to keep or pass along to a friend. Students will also collect donations for Abbey’s Bakery and sell purple beads to support future club initiatives.
Junior Molly Millet said the groups hope the evening helps students and community members understand that they are not alone.
“QV Voice, Hope Squad, and Quaker Valley Cheer want to advocate for you, reminding you that you matter and you are not alone,” she said in a statement.
For tenth-grader Maddie Ruddle, creating opportunities to talk openly about difficult subjects is an important part of Hope Squad’s purpose.
“Hope Squad has taught me not only how to help others, but also help myself,” Maddie said. “I think it’s really important to have it in our school because it brings up topics such as suicide that really need to have the light shined on them, so we can help others.”
While Hope Squad encourages peer-to-peer connection, a central part of its mission is helping students connect with trusted adults who can provide additional support.
Halle sees that as one of the program’s greatest strengths.
“I think it makes a community of people come together so that everyone in Quaker Valley knows that there’s a safe space to go to,” she said. “You can connect with your peers, but they can also help you connect with counselors.”
That bridge between peers and trusted adults is central to Hope Squad. Ambassadors are not asked to carry the weight of another student's struggles. Instead, they are learning how to listen, recognize when someone needs additional help, and connect that person with appropriate support.
While Suicide Prevention Month provides an important opportunity to increase awareness of Hope Squad, the group’s work will continue throughout the school year.
Students and sponsors hope to make Hope Squad increasingly visible throughout QVHS so classmates understand who its members are, why the organization exists, and how they can help. Members have already begun brainstorming schoolwide and community initiatives designed to strengthen school culture, foster connection, and promote a greater sense of belonging.
Plans for the year include establishing a student leadership team and developing Monday Mental Health Tips to provide regular, approachable messages about mental wellness, coping strategies, self-care, and connection. Hope Squad also hopes to participate in Quaker Valley Middle School's Self-Care Fair again this year, welcome guest speakers, and raise funds to support activities and programming.
The group is also looking beyond the walls of QVHS. Members hope connect with Hope Squads and student groups at other schools while exploring partnerships with Quaker Valley Middle School and the District’s elementary schools. Those relationships would guide age-appropriate conversations about kindness, belonging, mental wellness, and supporting others throughout the District.
The counselors and sponsors anticipate those efforts ultimately establishing Hope Squad as an integral part of the QVHS community and student conversations about mental health and well-being.
“Our goal is to continue emphasizing the importance of help-seeking behaviors and creating a culture in which reaching out for help is viewed as a sign of strength,” they shared. “We would like the impact of Hope Squad to extend well beyond the walls of QVHS, empowering our students to carry these skills and values with them as they transition into young adulthood.”
At its heart, Hope Squad is about relationships.
Students often notice when something has changed with a friend or classmate. Hope Squad gives them tools to respond to those moments with empathy while ensuring that trusted adults remain at the center of providing appropriate support.
Hope Squad ambassadors receive specialized training, but creating a caring school community isn't a responsibility that belongs to one organization.
Every student can notice, listen, and reach out to a trusted adult when they are worried about someone. Every member of the QV community can help create the connected, supportive environment Hope Squad members envision.
For QVHS, that vision extends especially to students who may not always be the first to speak up.
“Most importantly, we hope to foster awareness and connection among our quietest and most vulnerable students, ensuring that every student hears and feels the powerful message that Hope Squad promotes: hope is always present, help is available, and no one has to face their struggles alone.”
Help Is Available
If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out to a trusted adult, school counselor, or another member of the QVHS support team.
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call, text, or chat 988 to connect with crisis support.
If you are concerned about the immediate safety of yourself or another person, seek help from a trusted adult or emergency services immediately.
The Quaker Valley Text-A-Tip line also provides students with an opportunity to connect with law enforcement using a technology they are comfortable with by texting (412)419-1414. Students can confidentially send a text to the school resource officer about concerns they may have for their safety, the safety of others, or express a concern about a student and their well-being. The Text-a-Tip line is NOT an emergency hotline. If you are reporting an event that could immediately affect your school community, please call 911.
For more mental health resources, visit the Mental Health Resources page on our website.