Horizon Middle School, (Brian Neben, Central Nebraska Today)
KEARNEY — Members of the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education were able to learn about Horizon Middle School’s LEAP program during their meeting on Monday, Dec. 8.
The information was presented by Emily Davidson, 7th grade teacher at Horizon Middle School (HMS) and Kayla Kuhn, a HMS student.
Davidson said that the LEAP program is based upon Hope Squad curriculum which is, “student-led, peer-to-peer support program that harnesses school connectedness to reduce the risk of suicide in elementary and secondary schools,” according to the Hope Squad website.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people aged 10-24. People often don’t get help for mental health because of longstanding stigmas surrounding it.
At its core, the LEAP program is about students’ mental health and suicide prevention and it is made up of a group of students selected by their peers that promote leadership, empathy, acceptance and positivity throughout the school.
The “LEAP” name was chosen as it is also a collective noun for a group of jaguars, the mascot of HMS.
Students are chosen by their peers and then are approved by counselors and parents.
“We want student input on who they see as leaders, and we want to select leaders from different friend groups. This helps identify wider range of students that could help different student populations,” Davidson wrote.
“Students nominate, teachers recommend, and our school counselors and principals comb through the list as well. After that we give students an invitation to learn more about the group and decide on whether it’s a good fit for them,” wrote Davidson.
The 2025-26 HMS LEAP group is made up of 21 students.
The students meet every other day during their tenth period, twice a week. Davidson said this is the explore class period, so the students involved in the program are giving up this time to take part in LEAP.
The Hope Squad training teaches team building, referrals, confidentiality, inclusivity, adversity, resilience and self-care.
The students focus on education that seeks to end mental health stigma through school wide activities that promote inclusion and connectivity. Students are taught how to notice warning signs and make confidential referrals to school administrators.
Another activity of the LEAP program is “secret kindness agents.” The idea was started by a Ralston high school teacher in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting which killed 26 in 2012.
Every week the students are given a different kind of kindness mission. Fun agent names are thought up, they come up with a mission statement, the idea cannot cost any money and the “agents” have to do the mission they are given.
Davidson said for example, many students are chronic when it comes to losing pencils, one mission was to collect all the pencils found on the ground in the hallways lost by students and hand them out in class when a fellow student was in need.
Davidson said it was notable to see students step up in surprising ways. In one case she noted a student who was usually quiet but was always working in the background to accomplish things. At the end of the school year, he addressed the student body with a heartfelt message that she quoted in the presentation:
“I’ll leave you off with this. Continue to be yourself, never cast yourself so far in front of you that you forget what is inside you. Always remember that even though your day, month, year, or even your life could be terrible, remember the tiny light fades in front of you. Go grab it and express it more for yourself and others.”
During the rest of the board meeting the board approved the resignation of Jennifer Palser, 7th grade teacher at Horizon Middle School, effective the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
Hirings approved included Claire Nelson, 7-12 counselor at Kearney High School; Camryn McPhillips, 4th grade teacher at Northeast Elementary School and Lilyan Lam, 1st grade teacher at Kenwood Elementary School, for the 2026-2027 school year.
In other action the board approved a change in Kearney High School graduation requirements to increase personal finance from a 5-credit requirement to a 10-credit requirement with the course taken during the junior or senior year beginning with the incoming freshmen class of 2026-2027.
Algebra 1 and Spanish 1 were also approve as high school credits for courses taken during the 8th grade year at either Horizon or Sunrise Middle Schools.
The board then entered closed session to conduct a strategy session in regard to negotiations for the 2026-2027 school year.
The next regular meeting of the Kearney Public Schools Board of Education will be held on Jan. 12, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Staff Development Room in the Administration Building.
