At front from left are Hope Squad team members Colyn Jandrisavitz, Kinsley Cannode, Alonzo Rice, Emily Herzog, Amaury Kidd and Fantasia Galagarza. I don't know the full names of the WAMS students. At back from left are Hope Squad advisors Kate Harris, Olivia Erb and Julie Caringi. PHOTO PROVIDED

Members of the Williamsport Area High School and Williamsport Area Middle School Hope Squad teams, along with their advisors, recently attended the Kiwanis Club of Williamsport’s weekly meeting to present on the district’s latest initiative in mental health and suicide prevention: Hope Squad. Hope Squad is a school-based, peer-to-peer, suicide prevention program that empowers trained and mentored students who are nominated by their peers to perform acts of intentional outreach. The program is being implemented for the first time this year in the district’s middle and high schools.