The BYU-Idaho Counseling Center has started a new campaign to help students feel more comfortable and connected with the university’s resources.
The Counseling Center is teamed up with SOAR (Student Outreach Advising and Resiliency) to put on the campaign, which is called I Belong, You Belong, We Belong.
Social work interns and SOAR volunteers man a booth in the Taylor Quad to spread positivity and hope to people on campus. They have sticky notes to write a kind message on and a board where they can be displayed. If there’s a note that resonates with you, you can take it and give it to a friend, leave it somewhere on campus or just keep it for yourself.
The idea was introduced by Emily Brumbaugh, a counselor for BYU-Idaho who networks with university counseling centers across the nation. The University of Michigan did a similar campaign called Messages of Hope that was aimed at suicide prevention.
“Messages of hope, along with the other things we do with SOAR can help students feel more comfortable, realize they’re not alone, and be more willing to reach out when they need help and look to the resources available to them,” said Emma Drybread, a volunteer for SOAR.
You’ll next see the booth at the Taylor Quad on Thursday, June 3 from 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m.