I am a senior at Highland High School and am currently investigating the feasibility of a superintendent and board approved mandate that would require all high schools in the district to move toward the implementation of a Hope Squad program. If we can convince the district, then the petition can be sent to the Utah Board of Education in order to request a statewide mandate. I have been in a school that even after three consecutive suicides in one school year has not taken any significant measures to implement change. Unfortunately, there is much research that implies that there will be a mental health crisis in the fall, due to the prolonged isolation measures caused by the coronavirus pandemic situation. I am currently writing the superintendent/board of education in order to back up my claims and I want ask you to sign the petition below to: Train our Faculty through increased accountability and more in-depth training. Currently, there are no School Psychologists or Therapists at Highland. Teachers are only required 2 hours of suicide prevention training every three years. The yearly test on curriculum has unlimited attempts, and only requires a passing grade. Train our Students to be part of the suicide prevention effort through a Hope Squad. There are no peer-to-peer prevention systems at Highland. Hope Squads are financially covered by House Bill 329. In order to make this successful, I need you to sign if you agree that things need to change for Highland, the district, and perhaps the entire state. If you aren't convinced yet, feel free to look at the presentation outlining the feasibility of my claims using the link below. Thank you for your time and your contribution! Hope for Highland Presentation