Start With Hello

What is Start With Hello?

Start With Hello promotes kindness and belonging among elementary, middle, and high school students. The program is organized around three strategies, which are met through the program's framework and reinforced throughout the program cycle.  

Start With Hello uses a three-step strategy (See Someone Alone, Reach Out and Help, "Start With Hello") to educate students to notice loneliness, give companionship, and form new friendships that build a positive school culture and reduce violence. It culminates in an annual national awareness week called "Start With Hello Week," which promotes compassion and belonging throughout the school year.  Start With Hello Week is recognized annually during the second week of September.