Hope Squad a great way to discover a passion for helping others
Seneca Valley High School has a “Hope Squad,” a student-based organization meant to reduce youth suicide through education, training and peer intervention, which had a retreat Wednesday.
This is not only great for the students who are helped by the Hope Squad, but it’s good for the members of the squad themselves, who may find their calling in helping to address the mental health needs of others.
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.
One could imagine what a pleasant feeling a student gets from being chosen to be on the Hope Squad. Hearing that your peers think of you in this way would probably make you want to be a helper to those who got you to that position. Hopefully, the students currently involved in the Hope Squad got some validation to start off their careers in the squad.
Additionally, the retreat Wednesday had activities that helped the members of the Hope Squad learn more about their fellow students, as well as about themselves. It’s subtle, but these lessons can help people better relate to one another.
The impact of having a group like this on Seneca Valley High School’s campus remains to be seen, but with the students trained up to help one another through the rest of the year, it’s no doubt the effect will be positive.
— ET
