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Be the One: How to Start a Hope Squad
If you’ve ever looked around your school or community and thought, ‘There’s something missing. Our students are struggling...they need more support.’
Across the country, educators, parents, and counselors have had the same concerns.
One solution they’ve found?
Hope Squad.
Read on for a quick look at how you can help bring our programming to your community, too.
What is Hope Squad?
Hope Squad is a student-led, peer-to-peer support program focused on strengthening connection, community, and hope in schools.
The model is simple, but powerful:
- Trusted adults on campus are trained as Advisors
- Students are peer-nominated to serve as Members
- Members learn how to recognize warning signs, reduce stigma, and connect peers to trusted adults
The result? A culture where students look out for each other–and know how to get help when it matters most.
Why start a Hope Squad?
In 2023, the CDC found that 40% of students reported persistent feelings of sadness, loneliness, or hopelessness. Among people ages 10-24, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States.1
Research shows that when students feel connected to their school and community, they are:
- Less likely to experience suicidal thoughts
- Less likely to engage in risky behaviors
- More likely to attend school regularly
- More likely to earn higher grades
- More likely to graduate
Hope Squad is proven to build a culture of connection–but you don’t have to take our word for it:
I have never seen a program change the culture of our schools the way Hope Squads has. The power of peer-to-peer and education about mental illness has opened doors and saved lives.
Dr. Holly Ferguson, Superintendent of Prosper Independent School District, Prosper TX
How to start a Hope Squad
No matter your role in the community–student, parent, teacher, counselor, or concerned community member–you can adovcate for bringing a Hope Squad to your school.
Step 1: Learn about the program
Hope Squad offers a variety of resources you can explore to dive deeper into our programming and impact:
- Print this flyer
- Watch this media story
- Check out our community stories
Understanding the program’s evidence-based foundation and seeing the impacts Squads are having in their communities will help you confidently advocate for the program.
Step 2: Decide your role
There are several ways you can help to launch a Hope Squad:
- Advocate: Start conversations about Hope Squad in your community
- Connect: Introduce school leaders to Hope Squad
- Write Grants: Help secure funding to bring Hope Squad to your school
- Fund: Cover full or partial implementation costs of a Hope Squad
No matter which action you take, you’re making a difference by working toward strengthening connections in your community.
Step 3: Start the conversation
The most important part of launching a Hope Squad is leadership buy-in.
Reach out to school leaders and decision-makers in your community such as a:
- Superintendent
- Director of Student Services
- Mental Health, Prevention, or Counseling Director
- Principal
- School Counselor
- School Resource Officer
Share with them what you’ve learned about Hope Squad: It can start with a simple introduction; there’s no need for a formal presentation on your part.
Reaching out and saying something like, “I know that struggling students often turn to a friend before adults. I’ve heard about a program called Hope Squad that helps students learn how to respond. Have you heard of it?” can effectively get the ball rolling.
Step 4: Connect leadership with Hope Squad
Once interest is there, connect school decision-makers with Hope Squad’s team.
They will:
- Walk through the implementation process
- Outline training for Advisors
- Share funding options
- Support the school from introduction all the way through launch and beyond
Once a school signs up, your community is on the way to creating a more connected culture where mental health awareness is centered, stigma is reduced, and seeking help becomes commonplace.
Hope Squad provides:
- Training and ongoing support for Advisors
- Turnkey curriculum to train student Members
- Resources for building a trusted network of mental health support
Hope Squad’s flexible implementation ensures it can fit your school and community’s needs, all while making a positive impact.
The Hope Squad impact
Hope Squad is not just a club on campus. It’s a well-established program that shifts culture, develops student leaders, and works to save lives.
When schools implement Hope Squad, their communities become a place where there is:
- Mental health skill-building and education
- Reduced stigma around seeking help
- Evidence-based suicide prevention
- ...and so much more
Many schools begin their Hope Squad journey because one person recognized the need and spoke up.
A parent. A student. A teacher.
You.
Your voice matters. If you see a need for stronger connection and peer support in your community, you can be the one who makes it happen.
Start the conversation today.
1https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-youth/mental-health/index.html
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