Garden of Hope Takes Root at Foxcroft Academy -Piscataquis Observer

DOVER-FOXCROFT — Next spring, tulips will bloom in a small sidewalk garden on West Main Street, just steps from Foxcroft Academy. While the yellow flowers will beautify the area, they will have a broader purpose: raising awareness about suicide and mental illness.

The Garden of Hope, founded by Foxcroft Academy students, is part of the Yellow Tulip Project, a nationwide initiative founded to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness. The garden is managed by the school’s Positive Action Team, a group of students who provide tools and support to address issues related to mental health, substance use, general well-being and other issues important at school.

One morning, over 50 students showed up to prepare the garden, plant tulip bulbs, and enjoy hot chocolate. For Gwen Atwater, a sophomore at Foxcroft Academy and member of the Positive Action Team, the Garden of Hope is an opportunity to bring discussions about mental health and suicide to the forefront.

“I think a lot of people struggling with mental health don’t feel comfortable sharing it, and when they do, they may not feel accepted. The Yellow Tulip project is a good way to share light and hope with people who may feel like they are moving in the dark,” he says.

The Yellow Tulip Project was founded by Julia Hansen, a student who lost her two best friends to suicide at the age of 15, and her mother, Suzanne Fox. Hansen chose a yellow tulip because the flower represents happiness and hope. Since its founding in 2016, the youth movement has expanded into communities across the country.

Mental health issues for young people are on the rise across the country and are an issue close to their hearts. In the 2021 Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey, nearly 17 percent of Piscataquis County high school students reported that they had seriously considered suicide in the past 12 months. More than 31 percent described their mental health as “not good” in the last 30 days.

Casey Genthner, PPS, community health coordinator at Northern Light Mayo Hospital, hopes the garden will remind students that in dark and difficult times, there are brighter days ahead.

“We want to highlight the garden as a place where students can go for hope. Represents suicide awareness and overall mental well-being. This lets people know that it’s not okay to not be okay. These children will have a place where they can look at beautiful flowers and just spend a moment,” Genthner says.

Genthner and her colleagues at Mayo and CA Dean Hospitals support grant-funded positive action teams at Foxcroft Academy, Dexter Regional High School, Ridge View Community School, Greenville Consolidated School, Piscataquis Community Secondary School, Penquis Valley High School and SeDoMoCha Middle School.

Foxcroft Academy’s Positive Action Team, now in its second year, continues to grow and engage more students. Atwater, a self-described optimist, is working with his team to plan several activities aimed at spreading positivity and raising awareness about mental health and well-being.

“One of my favorite things to do is make confetti of kindness. We print inspirational quotes and post them throughout the school. I really like doing it,” he says.

Atwater can’t wait for the tulips to bloom for the entire school and community to enjoy. She is proud of the work that the Positive Action Team does and happy that so many of her peers outside the team helped plant the bulbs.

“It really feels amazing to be planting them today because when we started this morning it was just the Positive Action Team. Then a lot of people from school arrived. It was really satisfying,” he says.