Why we exist
Children need tools for hard moments.
Managing stress, speaking up, and recovering from a setback are skills children can learn—not things they should have to figure out alone.
The need
Adversity can affect a child’s confidence, emotions, friendships, and learning. Caring adults, safe environments, and access to health care matter alongside individual skills.
CDC’s 2023 data list suicide as the second leading cause of death among U.S. children ages 10–14. That urgency calls for both professional care and earlier support—not a promise that one enrichment program can prevent suicide.
Source: CDC WISQARS, 2023Our response
Nevada Loves Kids teaches ages 6–12 through small-group lessons, stories, games, and practice at home. Children learn to name feelings, calm their bodies, question thoughts, communicate, make choices, and set achievable goals.
- Two age groups: 6–8 and 9–12.
- Practical, repeatable skills rather than lectures.
- No pressure to share painful experiences; any child may pass.
What we can—and cannot—claim
Our work aims to contribute to a part of early suicide prevention by teaching coping and help-seeking skills. Nevada Loves Kids is a pilot, not a clinically proven suicide-prevention program. It does not replace therapy, medical care, family support, or community services.
Research on other programs informs our lessons; it does not establish outcomes for ours. We need to evaluate our own pilot.