Education
BY JULIANNA WASHBURN
‘A ripple eect of kindness’: TISD’s Hope Squad expanding
Skyler Nguyen, a senior at Tomball Star Academy, won’t forget passing out “secret note[s] of kindness” and seeing the happiness on the students she handed the unexpected notes to. “A lot of them had believed that nobody would write them a note, and to see that their peers had written something for them had, quite literally, lit up their faces with joy,” Nguyen said. This is one of the missions of the Hope Squad, a mental health support program that allows students in Tomball ISD high schools to become trained peer supporters. Hope Squad was created in 2024 amid a growing need to address mental health concerns in youth, according to a November 2024 news release. Now, for the 2025-26 school year, the group is expanding to junior high campuses so it can reach students earlier.
Hope Squad, created in 2024 amid a growing need to address mental health concerns in youth, is expanding to junior high campuses this year.
Throughout the last year, TISD’s Hope Squad hosted a mental health awareness week, stress relief activities and passed out kind notes to their peers.
PHOTOS COURTESY TOMBALL ISD
talk about mental health, it sets a foundation that can carry them through high school and beyond,” Director of School Counseling Steve Shiels said.
“We know that the middle school years can be especially tough—emotionally, socially, developmentally—and if we can help students at that age build the skills to support one another and
About the program
What they’re saying
Shiels, who oversees Hope Squad dis- trictwide, said the peer-nominated group of students is trained to recognize signs of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation in their peers. “Their job isn’t to solve those problems, but to be a bridge—someone a student can turn to who will listen, show care and help connect them to a trusted adult,” Shiels said. Throughout the last year, Hope Squad hosted a mental health awareness week, stress relief activities and passed out kind notes to their peers, Shiels said.
“It’s helped create a ripple eect of kindness and awareness across campuses. We’re seeing a cultural shift
“It’s more than just a program—it’s a re ection of our belief that every student deserves to feel seen, supported, and never alone.” MARTHA SALAZARZAMORA, TISD SUPERINTENDENT
where it’s more normal to talk about emotions and to ask, ‘Are you okay?’— and that’s powerful.” STEVE SHIELS, TISD DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL COUNSELING
Stay tuned
Mental health statistics in Texas public schools
“It’s about creating safe, connected school communities early on so students grow up knowing it’s okay to ask for help and that they’re never alone,” Shiels said. Nguyen also said one of the big changes that will happen this year will be the formation of a cross-school committee of Hope Squad members to discuss and plan bigger projects. “I hope that with this, we can further help to challenge the issue of youth suicide and improve our peer-to-peer manner of reaching out to those in need,” Nguyen said.
Shiels said TISD plans to expand Hope Squad to all intermediate campuses over the next two to three years. “Sadly, we’re seeing more and more fth- and sixth-graders experiencing mental health struggles, including suicidal ideation. That’s a reality we can’t ignore,” Shiels said. Shiels said at the intermediate level, the focus will be on laying a foundation that normalizes conversations about emotions, encourages kindness and helps students recognize when someone needs support.
1 in 6 school-aged youth experience impairments in life functioning due to mental illness 421,178 Texas children experience bullying monthly or often 22% of high school students in Texas seriously considered suicide in 2021 Nearly 1 in 3 Texas high school students reported their mental health was not good in 2021
SOURCE: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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