Building hope

WASILLA — Last week, the 479 students who attend classes in person at Wasilla Middle School participated in a Wall of Hope project, writing down things that give them hope on a star to display prominently in one of the school’s main hallways.

The Wall of Hope project is supported by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development and encourages schools to undertake the project to identify positive aspects of their lives that highlight why living is important to them.

“It was impactful. Sometimes we don’t see it, we don’t hear it and when you do hear it you’re like you know what, this is the reason why we do what we do,” said WMS counselor Tyann Nelson. “I think it’s good for us adults to think about that as well and to have the adults show the kids that things give us hope.”

A 2015 study from the Centers for Disease Control identified Alaska as having the third highest per capita suicide rate in the country. According to the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics, Alaska Native males had a suicide rate nearly four times the national average in 2014 and more than 90 percent of people who die by suicide have depression or another diagnosable, treatable mental or substance abuse order according to the American Association of Suicidology.

Every student at WMS wrote down what gives them hope and collaborated in the project that features a lighthouse on the rocks of stormy seas. WMS counselor Misty Taylor said that the Wall of Hope is supposed to represent a guiding light. Nelson and Taylor orchestrated the project and will continue discussing mental and behavioral health with WMS students through the Saving Teens At Risk (STAR) program in November.

“It goes through these are the warning signs if you see someone struggling and this is what you need to do. You need to get them hope and then you need to get them help so I think that helps a lot just getting that conversation started ,” said Taylor.

This is the first year that WMS Counselors have included sixth graders in the project that included the whole school. While the need for counselors to meet and discuss issues with students has not changed amidst a pandemic, Taylor says that schedule changes have fostered growth of relationships.

“This year it gives teachers a chance, like every day they’re taking their classes outside to talk to them and really then is when you see and build different relationships with kids because you’re actually having a conversation with them about something other than math you know and like all of a sudden you have a chance to really get to know them,” said Taylor. “I think that the longer class periods have allowed for those relationship buildings to take place even though I do think our teachers have always done a phenomenal job of building relationships with students.”

Nelson said that after a STAR presentation years ago, a parent discussed that it made a difference in her child’s life. As part of the STAR program, WMS counselors train WMS eigth graders who then interact with the seventh graders independent of the adults.

“They’re more likely to say something to their friend initially you know and so we want to teach their friend what to do with that information once they have it because a lot of items that friend feels like they have to carry that burden around with them but really their hope is safe adults, people that they can trust so that’s why we want to empower those kiddos to tell somebody,” said Taylor.

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