BOISE, Idaho — In 2019, a group of Boise State University Students started BroncoBOLD, an initiative to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health. Four years later, a program under that initiative is taking off.
Four schools participated in BroncoBOLD's High School Ambassador Program last year — its first year. Next school year, that number will jump to 10.
"We’re going into high schools and helping these high schools start their own mental health initiatives," said Stephanie Donaldson, BSU director of athletic counseling.
Bishop Kelly High School, Boise High School, Centennial High School, Meridian High School, Nampa High School, and Owyhee High School will join Borah High School, Capital High School, Marsing High School and Timberline High School.
All the schools will attend a summit at the beginning of the school year, where Donaldson said students will learn how to create a sustainable initiative, including event planning, fundraising and communicating why mental health programs on campus are important.
Marsing junior Ashlyn Porter went to the first summit. She helps run Husky Hope, one of her high school's mental health advocacy groups.
“I like that we get the opportunity as students to kind of reach out," she said, "and it's not just the adults having to tell us what to do and that we kind of get to think for ourselves and put ourselves out there and [are] able to help other kids too.”
Husky Hope puts on several events throughout the year. On Thursday, the group coordinated a color obstacle course with Marsing's Sources of Strength.
Monique Smart, Sources of Strength adviser and Marsing teacher, said it was a great opportunity to spread joy and help students build community.
"We're stronger together and together as Marsing is kind of the theme that the kids came up with," she said. "When you build connections, it really helps the kids to realize that they belong, and that they're not alone.”
Porter agreed.
"Reducing the stigma of [mental health] and everything, I think it's important to see all these people out here," she said.
Donaldson said she hopes the ambassador program keeps growing. It is funded through the local Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation.
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