National call-to-action week brings prevention education to schools to create more inclusive communities
NEWTOWN, Conn. – September 16, 2024 marks the beginning of Sandy Hook Promise’s week-long national call to action, Start with Hello Week. Throughout the week (September 16-20, 2024) 4,588 SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Promise Clubs in elementary, middle, and high schools across the country will participate in events to cultivate a sense of belonging among students and create safer school environments.
Mental health continues to be a pressing issue for American students in today’s schools – in 2023, 29% of high school students reported experiencing poor mental health. When youth feel connected to their school community, they are less likely to experience poor mental health or engage in other risky behavior including substance use and violence, according to the CDC. They’re also more likely to have higher academic performance levels. That’s why Start with Hello Week is focused on helping educators, students, and community members participate in activities focused on combating social isolation and increasing inclusivity in schools.
Start with Hello is part of Sandy Hook Promise’s Know the Signs programming, a set of proven prevention educational resources that take a comprehensive, evidence-informed, and sustainable approach to end school shootings and other forms of youth violence. Start with Hello is focused on tackling social isolation in K-12 schools. The evidence-informed program includes flexible training options and age-appropriate curriculum that instills empathy in students and empowers them to make their schools more inclusive and kinder.
Start with Hello Week is free to participate in. Students, educators, and school administrators can register online and utilize resources including:
- A planning guide for schools and students
- The Start with Hello training for grades K – 12
- Access to lesson plans and activities
“Creating safer schools begins with a culture of inclusivity and kindness. We know that when students are empowered to recognize warning signs of violence – whether it be another student being bullied or a friend who is isolated themselves from others – tragedy can be averted and youth can get the help and support they need,” said Nicole Hockley, co-founder and co-CEO of Sandy Hook Promise and mother of Dylan, who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.
Research has shown that warning signs are almost always present before an act of violence occurs, and chronic social isolation is often one of the indicators. That’s why the Start with Hello programming is teaching students to address this potential warning sign in three steps: 1) see someone alone, 2) reach out and help, 3) start with hello.
“No two students are the same, which is why Sandy Hook Promise’s curriculum is customized by grade level with considerations for each school’s unique community. Start with Hello programming is designed to be utilized for students beginning in kindergarten all the way through 12th grade,” said Crystal Garrant, Chief Program Officer at Sandy Hook Promise. “Creating safer schools and communities begins with encouraging empathy in students and empowering them to look out for one another. Throughout this week, schools across the country will see the power of a simple ‘hello.’”
Start with Hello Week brings prevention to the forefront by encouraging empathy in schools to combat social isolation, address bullying, and create safer school environments where everyone feels welcome.
To bring Start with Hello programming to your school visit: sandyhookpromise.org/our-programs/start-with-hello/
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Sandy Hook Promise (SHP) envisions a future where all children are free from school shootings and other acts of violence. As a national nonprofit organization, SHP’s mission is to educate and empower youth and adults to prevent violence in schools, homes, and communities. Creators of the life-saving, evidence-informed “Know the Signs” prevention programs, SHP teaches the warning signs of someone who may be in crisis, socially isolated, or at-risk of hurting themselves or others and how to get help. SHP also advances school safety, youth mental health, and responsible gun ownership at the state and federal levels through nonpartisan policy and partnerships. SHP is led by several family members whose loved ones were killed in the tragic mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.