Churchill County High Hope Squad tells school board peer-to-peer suicide-prevention work is expanding

Student leaders from Churchill County High School’s Hope Squad presented to the Board of Trustees about their peer-to-peer suicide-prevention program and asked for board and district support as they expand outreach.

Noah Saile, introduced himself as Hope Squad vice president and described the program’s purpose: to train nominated peers to listen without judgment, recognize warning signs and connect struggling students with adults and resources. Students said the program includes QPR training, mental-health awareness and leadership coursework; this year Hope Squad is also being offered as a class during the school day.

Student presenters said the chapter has recruited about 20 members so far and plans assemblies, game-day presence, team-building activities and printed business cards to help students connect peers with advisers and counselors. The group’s social media manager asked the district for guidance on using Instagram without violating policy and described plans to broaden outreach with targeted hashtags and boosted posts.

Superintendent Parsons and trustees praised the program’s potential in a rural community where mental-health resources are limited and noted the board’s recent policy and training efforts on suicide prevention. Parsons said the district has trained a large share of staff in SafeTALK and expects Hope Squad to be an important partner in school-based prevention and community outreach.

The board did not take formal action but discussed next steps for communications, business cards and how Hope Squad members can be integrated into district assemblies and trainings.