Source: Hope Squad — Mission & Story Page

Summary

Hope Squad's founding narrative — Gregory Hudnall's work in Provo City School District and program expansion.

Useful Claims

• Dr. Gregory A. Hudnall, then a high school principal, was called by Provo Police in 1997 to identify a student who died by suicide; he later took a district leadership role overseeing 16,000 students in a 120,000-resident community.
• After a student suicide where peers saw warning signs but told no adult, Hudnall launched the first Hope Squad at Timpview High (~2,100 students), selecting forty peer-nominated students.
• Hope Squad claims zero suicides in the Provo City School District for nine years after implementation (self-reported outcome, unattributed to independent audit on this page).
• Hope Squads are now in thousands of schools across the United States and Canada; over 98% of administrators whose schools implemented Hope Squad agree the programming promotes positive school climate (same statistic as homepage).

Verbatim

For over twelve years, Provo City School District, the tenth largest in Utah, grappled with a silent tragedy: the district experienced one to two youth suicides annually. — Our Story

In 1997, Dr. Gregory A. Hudnall, a high school principal, was contacted by Provo Police to identify a student who had died by suicide in a local park. — Our Story

The following year, Dr. Hudnall moved into a leadership role within Provo City School District, overseeing 16,000 students in a 120,000-resident community. — Our Story

A task force, involving civic leaders, mental health agencies, community organizations, and schools, spent five years on QPR certification, crisis team establishment, and suicide prevention education. — Our Story

Dr. Hudnall and his team began at Timpview High; with 2,100 students, the school experienced more threats, attempts, and suicides than any other school in the district over a decade. — Our Story

The result: Zero suicides in the Provo City School District for nine years after implementation. — Our Story

Hope Squads are now in thousands of schools across the United States and Canada. Over 98% of administrators whose schools have implemented Hope Squad agree that the programming promotes a positive school climate for their students. — Program Reach

Reliability Notes

Self-reported history and outcomes. The "zero suicides for nine years" claim is the organization's own and is not independently verified here. Adoption scale ("thousands of schools") is also self-reported without a dated count.

Related Pages

• Hope Squad