Planting seeds of hope is the message Kewaunee County Sheriff Matt Joski wants you to take to heart at three suicide prevention classes scheduled for next month. The courses come as concerns surrounding suicide grow after two Kewaunee School District students claimed their lives over the last six months. According to the Children’s Hospital Association, suicide and self-injury patients ages 5-18 seen at children’s hospital emergency departments increased by more than 168 percent between 2016 and 2021. One-fifth of all adolescent deaths are from suicide, becoming the second leading cause among kids 10-14 years old and the third leading cause of young people between 15-24. Joski is saddened that sometimes, it takes a tragedy to start a conversation. When the conversation begins, he wants it to be a message of providing hope for people who might need a little kindness to put them on a better and happier path.

Joski will lead QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training presentations at Algoma High School at 6 p.m. on September 9th and at Kewaunee High School at 5 p.m. on September 14th. St. Paul School in Luxemburg is hosting its own QPR training presentation with Prevent Suicide Fox Cities Executive Director Cindy Reffke leading on September 3rd at 6:15 p.m.