Many students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the number of adolescents struggling with their mental health continues to rise. The same organization points to one of the most effective protective factors: peer connection. Building strong relationships and helping young people feel seen and heard can make a meaningful difference.
Those statistics can feel overwhelming as a parent or community member, but there are people working every day to change them. In Crystal Lake Elementary School District 47, Project Hope Squad is doing exactly that by equipping students to recognize when a classmate may be struggling and empowering them to help connect that friend with support before a crisis develops.
This year, that mission expanded even further, thanks to an innovative partnership between Hannah Beardsley Middle School counselor Amy Hoven and her husband, Sgt. Ryan Hoven, commander of the Crisis Negotiating Team with the McHenry County Sheriff's Office. Together, they combined two professions that, surprisingly, have a great deal in common.
Project Hope Squad is a nationally recognized, peer-to-peer suicide prevention and mental health awareness program for students in grades six through eight. Sponsored locally through Elyssa's Mission, the program teaches students how to recognize warning signs of mental health struggles, encourages kindness and inclusion, and reinforces one important message: students are never expected to solve a friend's problems they are simply to help connect them with trusted adults.
As District 47 Director of Social Emotional Learning Kristin Schmidt and Hannah Beardsley Counselor, Amy Hoven describe Hope Squad "it's the first line of defense." Peers often see things adults don't, they hear comments made in passing, notice changes in behavior, and witness social media posts that teachers or parents may never see. Hope Squad recognizes that reality and gives students the tools to recognize and help a peer who is struggling.
Hope Squad is student focused from the very beginning, as students nominate classmates they would feel comfortable talking to if they needed help. Hope Squad advisors, made up of school counselors, teachers and staff members, carefully review those nominations to ensure the group represents a diverse cross-section of each school while maintaining the program's integrity. And the results have been powerful.
District staff have seen students encourage struggling friends to seek help, identify classmates who needed immediate intervention, and confidently use the training they received to take appropriate action.
One example came over spring break, when a Hope Squad member became concerned after seeing alarming posts on a friend's social media account. Thanks to the program's training, the student recognized the seriousness of the situation, knew exactly what steps to take, and successfully helped get the friend the assistance they needed.
For Amy Hoven, while those successes highlighted the strengths of Hope Squad, students were learning how to recognize someone in need, she still wondered, what if they could become even better listeners once they reached out?
The idea was born during what Amy and Ryan jokingly describe as a rare date night away from their young children.
As they talked about work, Ryan began explaining Active Listening Skills, techniques he had learned through years of crisis negotiation training, including specialized instruction at the FBI's Crisis Negotiation School and national conferences.
Amy realized something: while Hope Squad encourages students to be compassionate listeners, the curriculum didn't spend significant time teaching active listening as a specific skill. The couple's date night conversation quickly turned into brainstorming.
Idea after idea surfaced until they finally looked at each other and agreed that they needed to present the concept to their supervisors before getting too far ahead of themselves. Instead of thinking they were crazy, both of their organizations immediately embraced the idea. With enthusiastic support from District 47 administrators and the McHenry County Sheriff's Office, the Active Listening Workshop was born.
Amy knew that if the workshop was going to make a lasting impact, it needed to bring together students from all three District 47 middle schools. Ryan reached out to fellow crisis negotiators, who responded with excitement and offered to participate. Sheriff's Office social workers and peer support personnel also signed on.
The vision had become much bigger than either of them originally imagined and rather than holding yet another presentation inside a school gymnasium, Ryan suggested hosting the event at the McHenry County Regional Training Center, giving students an opportunity to learn in the same environment where first responders receive specialized training.
Nearly 60 seventh- and eighth-grade Hope Squad members from all three middle schools attended the inaugural Active Listening Workshop. Ten crisis negotiators, along with Sheriff's Office social workers and peer support personnel, spent the day working directly with students in small groups, with hands-on teaching and real-life scenarios. Many of the same communication techniques used during high-stakes crisis situations.
Students learned how to ask open-ended questions instead of yes-or-no questions. They practiced mirroring, using verbal and nonverbal encouragers, labeling emotions, and paraphrasing conversations to help someone feel understood while ensuring they accurately understood what was being shared. The goal wasn't to turn middle school students into counselors or crisis negotiators; it was to help them become better friends, and to feel empowered in the truth that they can make a difference.
The day also became a true community effort, Georgio's Chicago Pizzeria & Pub in Crystal Lake donated meals for every student, volunteer and staff member attending the workshop, while Nothing Bundt Cakes provided dessert. Both businesses have expressed interest in continuing their support for future workshops because they believe in the program's mission.
By the end of the school year, the workshop's impact was clear. Nearly every Hope Squad member stated that the Active Listening Workshop was their favorite day of the year.
For Amy and Ryan, that feedback confirmed what they had hoped from the beginning, that teaching young people how to genuinely listen could strengthen the relationships already at the heart of Hope Squad. The success also sparked plans for what's next. Everyone involved, from District 47 administrators to Sheriff's Office personnel and the crisis negotiators who volunteered their time, wants to bring the workshop back.
Amy and Ryan are already developing an expanded curriculum for next year, introducing new concepts while building on the skills students learned this spring. Their vision is to make the Active Listening Workshop an annual experience for every seventh- and eighth-grade Hope Squad member.
Mental health challenges among young people aren't disappearing overnight, but neither are the people committed to helping them. Project Hope Squad reminds students that they don't have to have all the answers, and that sometimes, the most powerful thing they can do is notice a friend who seems different, listen without judgment, and help connect them with someone who can provide support. Because sometimes hope begins with simply making sure someone feels heard.
The goal wasn't to turn middle school students into counselors or crisis negotiators; it was to help them become better friends.