Painting with a purpose

Positive painting project

Seneca Valley Hope Squad members, grades 7-12, recently created dynamic, uplifting messages through their Positive Painting Project event held in the senior high library. The Positive Painting Project is a community based nonprofit organization that uses visual art to promote positive mental health and suicide prevention.

Todd and Alisa Whysong founded the organization in loving memory of their daughter Katie Whysong, a talented artist who battled depression and anxiety and tragically lost her life to suicide. Katie was a strong advocate for mental health awareness and inspired the organization’s mission: to use visual art to spread positive and encouraging messages in schools and communities.

The goal of the event was to create opportunities for individuals to express their thoughts and emotions through art, raise awareness about mental health, and help break the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide.

Nearly 150 Hope Squad members came together to create their own unique works of art. Each brushstroke brought to life one-of-a-kind paintings featuring pre-printed messages promoting mental health awareness, positivity and support. Completed paintings were displayed in the hallways, spreading hope and encouragement throughout the schools on Seneca Valley’s secondary campus.

Funding for this event was generously provided by a donation from the Rotary Club of Zelienople.

Hope Squad is a peer-to-peer suicide prevention program aimed at reducing youth suicide through education, training and peer intervention. Hope Squad members are nominated by their peers as being easy to talk to, great listeners and naturally supportive of struggling students who are in need of a friend. This important suicide prevention program trains and mentors Hope Squad members to perform intentional outreach with fellow students. Hope Squad student members do not provide counseling or therapy, they instead serve as a connection to the help that is needed.

In its third year at Seneca Valley, nearly 100 students (grades 9-12) have been selected to be on the Hope Squad for the 2024-25 school year. In addition, the Hope Squad expanded to grades 7-8 at Ryan Gloyer Middle School (RGMS) in the spring of 2024, which has about 40 members.