Trevor R. Simpson Award Winners

YSPP is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2004-05 Trevor R. Simpson Award. To see the 2003-04 winners click here.

Issaquah High School was selected among schools with an enrollment of 1,000 students or more and M.E.A.D. Alternative was selected as the small school winner. Crescent School and North Kitsap High School will be recognized as honorable mentions.

Issaquah HS (enrollment ­ 1680) had 20 students on their S.O.S. team and did 12 classroom presentations in health classes over two semesters and devoted one week to suicide prevention activities. They hung posters throughout the school and passed out buttons and pencils at their presentations. They also held a district-wide parent night and organized a teacher training. As a result of their success they have received a $2,500 grant from the Issaquah Schools Foundation to continue their efforts next year and to expand to the other secondary schools in the district!

M.E.A.D. Alternative High School (enrollment ­ 122) had 10 members on their team. They presented to over 120 teens and 50 adults, including students at the middle school, the alternative high school, and Mead and Mt Spokane High Schools. They also did presentations for the secondary administrators and counselors, the parents of M.E.A.D., and at a community event, called Girls' Day Out. A "Teen Lifesaver Kit" was handed out at each presentation; the kit included an eraser to consider that mistakes can be opportunities to learn, a paperclip to help you keep it all together, a rubber band to stay flexible, a lifesaver to remind us that managing stress can make your life a "hole" lot better, and a resource card (with a hotline telephone number) to tell us that there is help if you need it.

Crescent School is very small (enrollment 177) but experienced a BIG event last March. [A 7th grade student came into his classroom with a gun in a guitar case, pulled it out and shot himself.] There were 7 students on their suicide prevention team and they did 12 classroom presentations at their school as well as other area schools. Team members wore t-shirts during their presentations and distributed lanyards, pencils, stickers, posters and book marks to presentation participants. In their end-of-year summary the faculty liaison indicates that the campaign not only reached out to educate students and staff but was instrumental in their healing process.

North Kitsap High School (enrollment ­ 1228) had 29 students on their "Lifesavers" team.  They met monthly throughout the year to plan their activities that included 17 classroom presentations and participation in the schools' "club fair". The team gave a presentation to the school board and "manned" a table at a parents' information night. Club members wore t-shirts when they gave their presentations and distributed Lifesaver candy - with the suicide warning signs - to students who participate.

We will formally recognize the two winners next fall.