Sandy Hook Promise is encouraging students and educators to participate in Start With Hello Week, an annual call to action week dedicated to making new social connections and creating a sense of belonging among youth. This year’s Start With Hello Week is September 21-25.

Students are the best line of defense for preventing school violence, but they only speak up when they feel connected to their school community, according to the United States Secret Service. A collaborative report from Walton Family Foundation and Gallup, titled 2026 Voices of Gen Z Study, notes as many as 33% of students say they do not feel like they belong at their school.

To help K-12 schools build that vital sense of safety and connection, Start With Hello Week will bring millions of students together nationwide for belonging-building activities.

Throughout the week, students and educators in K-12 schools nationwide are invited to take part in activities designed to end social isolation, address bullying, and build safer school spaces. SAVE Promise Clubs will be among the youth leaders bringing these activities to life in their school communities.

Start With Hello is part of Sandy Hook Promise’s evidence-informed Know the Signs programming. The curriculum teaches students three simple, actionable steps to address social isolation: 1) See someone alone, 2) Reach out and help, and 3) Start with hello.

Currently, Connecticut has more than 12,500 students from 38 schools registered to participate in Start With Hello Week activities. There is still time for more schools to register before the week begins.

The program is 100% free for K-12 schools and provides age-appropriate lesson plans, family activity guides, and training to teach students how to combat social isolation.

Students, educators, and families can register online at sandyhookpromise.org/what-we-do/programs/school-climate-safety/start-with-hello/week.

Through that link, people can access numerous resources, such as lesson plans and activities, guides for schools and students, multilingual resources, training videos and slide decks via the online Sandy Hook Promise Learning Center, and more.

Also, as part of this year’s back-to-school efforts, Sandy Hook Promise has released a “Parent Checklist for Back-to-School Essentials.” The resource equips families with actionable tools to foster safety from home, including:

*Identifying a “trusted adult”: Helping students name at least one adult at school they feel safe confiding in.

*Creating daily moments of connection: Asking open-ended questions like “What are you looking forward to tomorrow?” to maintain open communication.

*Encouraging inclusion: Inspiring students to reach out to peers who may feel left out with a simple “hello.”

*Spotting warning signs: Recognizing subtle shifts in behavior or mood that signal a student needs extra support.

For more information about Start With Hello Week or Sandy Hook Promise, visit sandyhookpromise.org.