26 JANUARY 2019 By Megan Forrester Tragedies in schools seem to be occurring at an increasing rate. There seems to be no avoiding it. What if there was a way to jump in before the word “crisis” ever falls off someone’s lips? That is exactly what Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life aims to do. This third- annual youth conference focuses on facilitating those sometimes-difficult discussions among youth about mental health, bullying, suicide prevention, eating disorders and many other topics that could stop a tragedy like suicide, personal harm, or even a school shooting. Gina Godbehere, one of the conference’s three co-founders, says one factor that contributes to tragedies in schools is the “tattletale mindset,” which deters kids from informing adults about someone who may be in desperate need of help. “Kids are told that if they see something, say something, but the reality is we have also told everyone from a young age to mind your own business,” Godbehere said. “So, we wanted to try to change that mindset and let everybody know that if somebody is in trouble, it is their business.” One aspect of the conference is the #DifferenceMaker initiative. A “Difference Maker” is defined as someone who wasn’t silent and took a step toward dissolving the “tattletale mindset” and made an impact on someone’s life. “We want to inspire our youth that every one of them has the power to be a Difference Maker,” Godbehere said. “If someone is being bullied, they depend on the bystanders, and if the bystanders stood up and helped the person being bullied it changes everything.” The conference, which will be held on January 22 at Grand Canyon University, will emphasize its latest initiative, #CareEnough, through performances and qualified speakers. Another co- founder, Dr. Lilly DeBliuex, hopes this knowledge will encourage awareness in each and every attendee and help them detect warning signs from others in their community. “I think they leave with this hope that they’re going to make it because there are all of these resources ready to help them,” DeBlieux said. “And yet they also have all these strategies to go back and help others in their schools, homes and families.” Another challenge which deters young adults and teens from speaking up is concern over the reaction from their parents. “While it is completely normal for parents to freak out and add more drama to the situation, kids don’t want to feel even worse than they already do about their struggles,” DeBlieux said. Also, parents tend to mute conversations about topics such as suicide and bullying. Parents should engage their kids in conversations about these and other tough subjects rather than avoiding them. “Once they go to the conference, they find a kindred spirit – that’s who they want to listen to, that’s who they want to talk to,” says DeBliuex. Another characteristic of Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life is its diversity. Although most of the attendees come from different backgrounds, communities, and schools, the way they come together to collaborate and listen to one another is unlike anything else. “It doesn’t matter if you’re black, white, yellow, orange or if you’re LGBTQ – they all come together as one united force,” DeBlieux said. “It is the most beautiful thing to see kids walking out of there with a smile and with the belief that things are going to be okay.” The goal of Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life is to build a better, safer and more communicative future for the youth. The organization intends to continue spreading its message and grow into a statewide movement. “If together we all help the students and together we all speak the same language, we’ll save a world of kids,” DeBlieux said. “That is our goal, that is my hope.” SPEAK UP, STAND UP, SAVE A LIFE Where: Grand Canyon University, 3300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix 85017 When: January 22, 2019 Time: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To register: speakstandsave.com. Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life • Arizona Department of Health Services: muststopbullying.org • Childhelp’s Speak Up Be Safe for Athletes: childhelp.org/subs/speak-safe-athletes • Gurian Instititute for Teachers: gurianinstitute.com • Aurora Behavioral Health: www.auroraarizona.com • Crisis Response Network: crisisnetwork.org • Teen Lifeline: teenlifeline.org RESOURCES The goal of the Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life conference is to facilitate sometimes-difficult discussions among youth about challenging issues such as mental health, bullying, suicide prevention, eating disorders and other topics. Motivational speaker Jeremy Anderson (foreground) lends his voice to the cause. Left: One of the greatest strengths of the Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life conference is the diversity of the attendees. The cofounders say the conference attracts people of all races, identities and backgrounds and that they all come together to share experiences and make connections. Right: Cofounders Jennifer Vogel Rogers (left), Lilly DeBlieux (second from left) and Gina Godbehere (far right) incorporate their #DifferenceMaker initiative into the conference. We want to inspire our youth that every one of them has the power to be a Difference Maker.” PHOTOS COURTESY OF GINA GODBEHERE