Join Forever14 in our mission to prevent teen suicide

  The suicide statistics are troublesome for our society and Forever14 is determined to vastly reduce its rate on the county, state and national level. Our goal is to have zero teen suicides in Washoe County by 2023 - the year Caleb would have graduated.

Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death among teenagers in Washoe County according to Nevada’s Office of Suicide Prevention.

We are living in a digital age where we seem more disconnected than ever but there is one thing we know to be true; people crave to come together for live experience and human connection. Our mission is to advance conversation and human connection to prevent teen suicide through our Teen Ambassador program.

Who are the Forever14 Teen Ambassadors? 

Our Ambassadors are teens who identify themselves as safe zones. Someone who is learning best practices in peer support and who is an advocate for good mental health, positive self-esteem and helping peers cope with the challenges of daily life through connection. The Forever14 Teen Ambassador understands that life has its ups and downs so they seek to promote positivity, kindness, and to offer help to those in need. Our board supports Forever14 Teen Ambassadors by providing mentorship and connecting them with community leaders. Mentors meet with Ambassadors on a monthly basis to provide education and support including but not limited to:

Encouraging and spreading kindness amongst their peers

Understanding the basics of connection

Encouraging and fostering leadership

Tools and support for the Ambassadors

  Our Teen Ambassador program is made up of 14 core values and is designed to intervene when children and teens are most vulnerable. Examples include but are not limited to:

a teen that is new to a school

a teen experiencing loss of a loved one

a teen that has been the target of bullying

We believe in intervention before the child begins having suicidal thoughts – we want to be proactive rather than reactive. Our mission is to curb suicide through intervention, connection and kindness.

The values listed below are integrated into our mentorship program for our Ambassadors so that they can learn how to utilize the values to create connection and spread kindness particularly to those most vulnerable in our communities.  

1. Kindness

2. Proactive listening

3. Respect for self and others

4. Having an open mind

5. Honesty

6. Having a positive outlook

7. Inclusivity and peer to peer connection

8. Empathy

9. Encouragement

10. Education with supportive resources

11. Bravery

12. Trustworthiness

13. Think BIG

14. Safe zones