# Source: Hope Squad — Mission & Story Page

**Type:** source
**Status:** Useful
**Confidence:** Medium
**Source Type:** official-page
**URL:** https://hopesquad.com/mission-history
**Archive:** https://web.archive.org/web/20260811224124/https://hopesquad.com/mission-history
**Archived:** 2026-08-11
**Publisher:** Hope Squad / Hope 4 Utah
**Retrieved:** 2026-08-12
**Raw:** raw/hope-squad-mission-history/2026-08-11-5c99b05fc107.txt
**Updated:** 2026-08-11

## 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](hope-squad.md)