Boise State Athletics has selected six Idaho high schools to participate in the second year of the BroncoBOLD High School Ambassador Program. The six schools are Bishop Kelly High School, Boise High School, Centennial High School, Meridian High School, Nampa High School and Owyhee High School.

The schools will participate in the three-year program that provides the education and tools to support motivated high school students and administrators to become active leaders and advocates of mental health on their campus and in their community.

Each school will be assigned one Boise State student-athlete from the BroncoBOLD Leadership Committee and one Boise State BroncoBOLD staff advisor to serve as consultants.

The BroncoBOLD High School Ambassador Program was made possible through a generous grant from the locally-based Holland M. Ware Charitable Foundation (HMWCF). This year the foundation provided additional funds to increase the number of participant schools from four to six.

“The HMWCF is very proud of the work that Bronco Athletics does to promote leadership, health, and mental wellness to local high schools and Bronco student-athletes,” said executive director Brenda L. Thueson. “The BroncoBOLD H.S. Ambassador Program is an innovative and exciting program that utilizes sports as a platform to empower students with the tools they can use today and in the future. We are proud to be a sponsor of BroncoBOLD.”

Schools entering their second year of the program include Borah High School, Capital High School, Marsing High School and Timberline High School.

Second year programming for these schools will include toolkits to expand programming for Suicide Prevention Awareness Week in the fall and designated Mental Health Awareness Games in the spring. Staff will also have the opportunity to attend Youth Mental Health First Aid Trainings throughout the year hosted by BroncoBOLD. Last year, 90 administrators and staff participated in the training.

“Thank you HMWCF, for your generous gift,” said Stephanie Donaldson, Director of Athletic Counseling & Performance Psychology. “The additional funding has opened the door for more schools and administrators who are committed to raise awareness, provide education and offer resources that support the health and well-being of their community.”

Launched in the fall of 2019, BroncoBOLD is a student-athlete mental health awareness initiative comprising three pillars:  reduce stigma, raise awareness and cultivate resilience in order to spread a message of hope and help to the entire campus and greater community.

Visit BroncoBOLD to learn more.