Page 78 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2024

GIVING BACK
HELPING HANDS
Schools in Jackson County Adopt New Initiative Tackling Teen Suicide
story by Cherie Ward photos courtesy of Hope Squad
Enduring the pressures of teen and preteen life through peer- to-peer mentorship is the mission of the Hope Squad program and it’s making a big impact at schools across Jackson County.
The Hope Squad is a student-led initiative in the seven middle and seven high schools throughout the county’s four school districts – Jackson County, Ocean Springs, Moss Point, and Pascagoula-Gautier. The program, guided by trained educators and advisors, was designed as a helping hand and a place of comfort for students. It includes proactive teams of student
ambassadors whose main goal is to encourage classmates to talk about their emotional well-being.
The Singing River Foundation, which supports Singing River Health System’s philanthropic initiatives, and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce both spearheaded the programs and raised funds from Gulf Coast businesses. Chamber CEO Paige Roberts and SRHS Foundation Executive Director Laura Sessum helped kick off the initiative.
“It’s about shifting the mindset of the students and the faculty
78 | December 2024
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