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Schuette unveils OK2SAY Student Ambassador initiative

State of Michigan

Michigan’s OK2SAY program has received more than 14-thousand tips about students struggling with depression and thoughts of suicide since it’s launch in 2014. Now, the program has launched an initiative aimed at reaching more students.

It’s called the Student Ambassador initiative. Any student can register to become an OK2SAY Student Ambassador. It allows students to assume a leadership role in looking out for their peers.

Student Ambassadors pledge to take care of their peers, to ensure that kids are kind to each other and that everyone feels included.

Megan Hawthorne is the Press Secretary for Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette. She said the number of tips they’ve received has grown every year.

“Only one month has been busier, March 2018, than May was, and our number one tips were suicide threats, we received 186. Bullying 129 tips, self harm 47, so you know kids are really using this program and we are able to help them.”

Hawthorne said so far in 2018, OK2SAY has received more than three thousand tips on students dealing with suicide, bullying, depression, self harm, and drugs.

She said even though it’s summer vacation for most students, OK2SAY is available 24/7 365 days a year.

 

More information on the initiative can be found here.