Taeho Kim from Irvine High School and Meital Kochinski from Northwood High School were chosen to be a part of the National Hope Squad Council, a leadership opportunity that empowers students to advocate for mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and peer connection on a national level.
Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program focused on fostering human connection, community, and hope among students. Through campus-based programs, Hope Squad trains student leaders to recognize signs of emotional distress in their peers, encourage help-seeking behaviors, and create supportive school environments centered on inclusion and wellness.
These students were selected to be a part of a distinguished group of 50 student leaders representing schools across 19 states. Each council member brings unique perspectives, lived experiences, and a passion for supporting student mental health and well-being.
As members of the council, Kim and Kochinski will collaborate directly with Hope Squad’s leadership team to provide student insight and help shape national programming and initiatives. Council members also participate in webinars, research opportunities, and national advocacy efforts focused on mental health awareness and suicide prevention. In their roles, they will serve as student ambassadors and voices for their peers, helping ensure student experiences remain at the center of Hope Squad’s work.
Several IUSD high schools participate in Hope Squad, including Irvine High School, Northwood High School, and Portola High School. The program is one of many on-campus mental health and wellness resources available to IUSD students.
IUSD’s Department of Mental Health & Wellness is committed to creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment where students are empowered to develop social-emotional skills to become empathetic, resilient and contributing members in their community.
Congratulations to these students on this prestigious and vitally important appointment.
For additional mental health and wellness resources, please visit the IUSD Mental Health & Wellness webpage.