Hope Week is recognized every year at Brewer High School, but few are aware of the history of why we call it Hope Week, and how Hope Squad has become a prominent group in the school.
Hope Week is a week recognizing mental health awareness during February, sharing thoughtfulness and information about suicide to high school students.
“It is a celebration of mental health awareness in accordance with Random Acts of Kindness Week,” Hope Squad adviser Beth Sweeney said. “It is to spread information about suicide awareness and help promote healthy peer-to-peer relationships.”
Sweeney and Hope Squad always come up with dress-up days for Hope Week, not only for fun but to show people on campus that they care.
“It is to help build positive morale on campus,” Sweeney said.
Hope Squad must communicate with the district to discuss the details of Hope Week.
“The days are decided by our district communications director,” Sweeney said.
Hope Week is important. Not only does it occur when February comes, but Hope Squad has been in the district for a while. WSISD plans on providing support and care to students in case they're having trouble outside of school or want to harm themselves.
“We have had Hope Squad in our district for almost a decade. In WSISD, we want to build community and promote positive relationships between students because suicide does not have a face,” Sweeney said.
We designate it Hope Week by getting with the National Hope Squad Foundation to talk about what we should call it by communicating with each other's ideas for it to be called Hope Week.
“It is because we partner with the National Hope Squad Foundation,’’ Sweeney said.
There are numerous students who have been chosen as Hope Squad members over the year. They are chosen by other students who vote for people like their friend, cousin, or anyone who deserves to be in Hope Squad. Students are encouraged to nominate the people they could talk to about anything difficult and be able to support other students who are not able to speak up.
“They are nominated by their peers as a friend who could come and talk to in a time when life is hard,” Sweeney said.
As a Hope Squad adviser, Sweeney trains Hope Squad members on mental health support for their peers.
“I oversee the students, provide the training yearly on how to identify warning signs, and support students in need,” Sweeney said.
The district wanted the high school to have an organization dealing with student mental health.
“It was a district decision to find some program that promotes mental health and suicide awareness,” Sweeney said.
Sweeney has a goal for Hope Squad and herself to attend the National Conference in Utah. National Conference is a virtual conference where they focus on peer-to-peer of suicide prevention.
Sweeney and her hope squad members have this meeting with each other to collaborate on ideas for Brewer High School. They also see some ideas from different high school pages for hope squad to get some ideas for our Brewer High school.
“We meet monthly to collaborate and come up with ideas. We also follow other schools’ Hope Squad social pages to find out what is working and successful at their school.” Sweeney said.
Hope Week is about how the school celebrates mental health awareness, and how Sweeney and Hope Squad help Brewer High School by creating ideas and showing support for students.