Las Vegas Expands Hopeful Cities Initiative With New Community Resources

Las Vegas, Nevada Dec 17, 2024 (Issuewire.com)  - The Shine Hope Company and the City of Las Vegas are expanding their collaboration to promote hope within the community by distributing The Hopeful Minds® Parent’s Guide to over 8,000 families across the city. This effort is part of the broader Hopeful Cities initiative, which aims to integrate the science of hope into everyday life, providing a foundation for future generations.

Watch: Las Vegas Becomes a "Hopeful City" | Nevada Week

The Hopeful Minds® Parent’s Guide is a digital resource that introduces parents to the core concepts of the Hopeful Minds curriculum. It offers practical tools for implementing the Five Keys to Shine Hope™ (Stress Skills, Happiness Habits, Inspired Actions, Nourishing Networks, and Eliminating Challenges) and hopeful language that can be used at home to reinforce positive habits and foster hope within families.

Since the launch of the Hopeful Cities Program on March 6, 2024, Las Vegas has incorporated hope-based programming into the ReInvent Afterschool Program (RAP). Two hundred eighty elementary school students across seven schools engage in the Hopeful Minds curriculum each month. The program emphasizes creative, hands-on activities designed to make the concepts of hope tangible and accessible.

The Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE supports the initiative, with additional collaboration from local organizations such as Hope Means Nevada, Compassionate Las Vegas, and others. These partnerships are central to the city’s ongoing commitment to building a hopeful future for its residents.

Several local organizations are actively involved in promoting hope throughout Las Vegas:

Green Our Planet has contributed to the initiative by planting sunflowers at 220 schools across the city as symbols of hope. They have also organized family engagement events at Wynn Elementary, where participants learned about the Hopeful Cities initiative and planted sunflowers together.

“I love to see Hope in action in our community, and the sunflowers serve as such an important symbol of hope. The Green Our Planet Team is thrilled to be working with our schools to expand Gardens for Hope and ensure everyone knows these resources are available for use to ensure all children, teachers, and parents are equipped with skills for ‘how’ to hope." said Ciara Byrne, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Green Our Planet.

Hope Means Nevada has helped raise awareness of the Hopeful Cities initiative through a campaign with Mayor Pro Tem Brian Knudsen. The campaign included over 75 bus shelter ads promoting the city’s hope resources. Hope Means Nevada also connected with local families at Green Our Planet’s Fall Giant Student Farmers Market.

“We are tremendously grateful to be part of the Hopeful Cities movement. It is a powerful initiative that aligns with our mission at Hope Means Nevada to eliminate teen suicide and empower Nevada’s youth to live hopeful lives,” said Ciara Bellavance, Executive Director, Hope Means Nevada

Compassionate Las Vegas has supported the dissemination of Shine Hope resources and invited Kathryn Goetzke, Chief Hope Officer of The Shine Hope Company, to discuss hope on their podcast. Additionally, Will Rucker, host of the Compassionate Las Vegas Podcast, shared his personal Shine Hope Story™ to inspire others to embrace hope.

Compassionate Las Vegas Podcast with Will Rucker featuring Kathryn Goetzke

Will Rucker, host of the Compassionate Las Vegas Podcast, Community Health Director at Intermountain Health, and member of the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE's board of directors, also wrote and shared his Shine Hope Story™ from the My Shine Hope Story course to inspire others to activate Hope in their lives. He shows how to use the Shine Hope framework and other tools to create, maintain, and grow Hope.

“I’m so proud of the City of Las Vegas for operationalizing hope as part of its commitment to mental health and being a Compassionate City. Stories are the language of the heart, and sharing mine is an offering of light and connection. Each of us has a story of hope that shines bright,” shares Will Rucker, host of the Compassionate Las Vegas Podcast, Community Health Director at Intermountain Health, and member of the board of directors for the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE.

"The City of Las Vegas is leading by example, showing the world what it means to Shine Hope. We extend our deepest gratitude to our partners— the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE, Hope Means Nevada, Compassionate Las Vegas, Green Our Planet, UNLV, the Moonridge Group, Vegas PBS, and many others—whose support makes this movement possible," adds Kathryn Goetzke, Chief Hope Officer at The Shine Hope Company.

The city’s continued efforts will equip residents with the tools to cultivate hope and resilience within their communities.

Hopeful Cities®, which partners with cities worldwide, teaches hope as a skill and provides communities with the resources needed to build hopeful, compassionate, and empowered citizens. Las Vegas residents can access Shine Hope resources at no cost through the Hopeful Cities website: www.hopefulcities.org/unitedstates/nevada/lasvegas.

The Hopeful Cities Playbook is also available for purchase through The Shine Hope Store and IngramSpark. It offers a comprehensive guide to city programs, including no-cost interventions and licensed programs. Cities interested in officially adopting these programs must obtain a license from The Shine Hope Company.

About The Shine Hope Company:

Our mission is to empower all by teaching scientifically informed and evidence-based methods that cultivate Hope. Through our educational resources, tools, and activations, we aim to inspire individuals to foster positive feelings and take inspired action, measuring their progress in nurturing and sustaining Hope in their lives. Visit www.theshinehopecompany.com to find out more.

About iFred:

iFred, a 501(c)3 organization, established in 2004, works to shine a positive light on mental health and eliminate stigma through prevention, research, and education. iFred is a pioneer in teaching Hope as a learnable skill and activates Hopeful Cities® in areas with a poverty rate of 20% or more, and the Hopeful Minds®  Programs in school districts where at least 20 percent of the children they serve come from families with incomes below the poverty line. iFred also works in all low and middle-income countries. Find out more at www.ifred.org. 

About Hopeful Cities

Hopeful Cities is equipping cities around the world with the tools they need to create, maintain, and grow Hope, citywide. This initiative features the Hopeful Cities Playbook, a step-by-step guide to help cities activate the “how-to” of Hope in the sectors of government, education, science, workplace, healthcare, and art. The Eight Guiding Principles of Hopeful Cities are integrated into all interventions across these six sectors, driving change and ensuring everyone can proactively move from hopelessness to Hope. Visit www.hopefulcities.org and find out more about how you can activate Hope in your city today.

About The Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE: 

The Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas LIFE was established in 2017 as a vehicle for corporate and philanthropic partners to support innovative programs that improve quality of life for all Las Vegas residents with a special focus on vulnerable populations. The Fund, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, creates opportunities for public-private partnerships as well as donations of cash, time and in-kind goods and services. Guided by a diverse group of community leaders, the Fund targets specific community needs with a goal of making Las Vegas a national leader in four areas: Livability, Innovation, Future and Education. The Nevada Community Foundation, a public charity under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, serves as The Mayor’s Fund fiscal agent, receiving all private donations. Donations to the Nevada Community Foundation for The Mayor’s Fund are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For information, visit MayorsFundLV.org.  

Media Contact

Theresa Ashford | Ashford Media Group theresa@ashfordmediagroup.com 315.778.7636 Illinois, Chicago https://theshinehopecompany.com/