Seneca Valley School District holds retreat for students who assist with outreach
Seneca Valley Hope Squad members play Spikeball during a retreat at Glen Eden Barn in Forward Township, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Spreading hope with the squad
Seneca Valley’s hope squad, a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program aimed at reducing youth suicide through education, training and peer intervention, held a retreat Wednesday, Oct. 8.
Hope Squad members are nominated by their peers as being easy to talk to, great listeners and naturally supportive of struggling students who are in need of a friend. The program trains and mentors Hope Squad members to perform intentional outreach with fellow students. Hope Squad student members do not provide counseling or therapy, they instead serve as a connection to the help that is needed.
Seneca Valley Hope Squad members participate in a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley High School teacher Katie Smolter leads an activity during a Hope Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky notes during a Hope Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley student Isabella Sedoak takes part in an activity where students write down things they wish others knew about them during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Hope Squad members discuss ways the school can better support students during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley Hope Squad members play Spikeball during a retreat at Glen Eden Barn in Forward Township, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky ntoes during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley Hope Squad members play spike ball during a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley student Isabella Sedoak takes part in an activity where students write down things they wish others knew about them during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley Hope Squad members participate in a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley Hope Squad members participate in a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley Hope Squad members play spike ball during a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Hope squad students paint pumpkins during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley High School teacher Katie Smolter leads an activity during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky ntoes during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky ntoes during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky ntoes during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley student Molly Sims takes part in an activity during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley student Paige Damico celebrates after scoring a point in spike ball during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Luke West and Molly Sims participate in an activity during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley Hope Squad members participate in a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky ntoes during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
From left, Seneca Valley students Sophia Cuchapin, Kynzie Knirnschild and Jordan Laur particpate in an activity during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Seneca Valley student Christian Vogel takes part in a discussion during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
Hope Squad members discuss ways the school can better support students during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley student Isabella Sedoak takes part in an activity where students write down things they wish others knew about them during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Hope Squad members discuss ways the school can better support students during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley Hope Squad members play Spikeball during a retreat at Glen Eden Barn in Forward Township, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky ntoes during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley Hope Squad members play spike ball during a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley student Isabella Sedoak takes part in an activity where students write down things they wish others knew about them during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley Hope Squad members participate in a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley Hope Squad members participate in a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley Hope Squad members play spike ball during a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Hope squad students paint pumpkins during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley High School teacher Katie Smolter leads an activity during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky ntoes during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky ntoes during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky ntoes during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley student Molly Sims takes part in an activity during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley student Paige Damico celebrates after scoring a point in spike ball during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Luke West and Molly Sims participate in an activity during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley Hope Squad members participate in a retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Hope Squad members participate in an activity where they write down things they wish others knew about them on sticky notes and then deliberate on how to respond to another groups sticky ntoes during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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From left, Seneca Valley students Sophia Cuchapin, Kynzie Knirnschild and Jordan Laur particpate in an activity during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Seneca Valley student Christian Vogel takes part in a discussion during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Hope Squad members discuss ways the school can better support students during a Hop Squad retreat at Glen Eden Barn, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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