FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — School districts across Southeast Missouri are highlighting student mental wellness this week through the Hope Squad initiative, a peer-to-peer program aimed at reducing stigma and connecting students in crisis with trusted adults.
Students in Cape Girardeau, Jackson and Perryville are hosting a series of visible, community-focused events designed to promote mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
At Cape Junior High School, students and staff are taking part in “Hope Week” through Feb. 6. The week includes daily awareness activities and themed dress-up days intended to encourage kindness, connection and open conversations about mental health.
In Perryville, the Hope Squad at Perryville High School will host a community 5K for mental health at 9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at the TG Run/Walk Trail. The event is open to the public and does not require registration.
Jackson High School is also promoting awareness this week as it prepares for its first annual “JR2 Needs You” Suicide Prevention and Memorial Walk, scheduled for Saturday, March 28, at Jackson City Park. The walk will begin at 9 a.m. and will serve as both a fundraiser for the Hope Squad program and a time to honor individuals lost to suicide.
The Hope Squad program is supported by the Community Counseling Center and funded in part through grants from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. The initiative trains students to recognize signs of distress among peers and refer them to appropriate adult support, helping move mental health conversations beyond clinical settings and into schools and the broader community.