A conversation, no matter how small, can help break down barriers, raise awareness, and create better cultures of support, which can lead to reducing the number of suicides across the world each year. The goal of World Suicide Prevention Day, commemorated on Sept. 10, is to highlight how changing the narrative on suicide is about transforming how we perceive this complex issue.
That is why the theme for 2024-2026 is “Start the conversation.” The day—sponsored since 2003 by the World Health Organization and the International Association for Suicide Prevention—also stresses the importance of shifting from a culture of silence and stigma to one of openness, understanding, and support.
Suicide is a major public health challenge, with more than 700,000 deaths each year globally. Each suicide has far-reaching social, emotional, and economic consequences, and deeply affects individuals and communities worldwide. The call to action encourages everyone to start the conversation on suicide and suicide prevention.
The IASP has a page with resources for Sept. 10 here. The organization also offers access to crisis helplines in your community by visiting their resources page.
Dallas ISD’s Mental Health Services has provided students with a sticker that includes the number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and other outreach resources if they are in crisis and has shared community resources to help team members address the topic with students:
The Texas Suicide Prevention Collaborative has resources on their website.
Dallas ISD’s Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise Department offers a plethora of initiatives year round for team members and others outside of the district wanting to take advantage of the opportunities offered through the department.
One of those upcoming initiatives is the M/WBE Vendor Expo, which will take place at 11 a.m. on Sept.10 at the Jesse Owens Memorial Complex, allowing the business community to meet and network with various Dallas ISD departments.
“Through this expo and other initiatives the M/WBE Department is continuing the goal of the district to involve minority and women-owned businesses, in a legal and meaningful way, in all facets of the district’s contracting and purchasing activities,” said Annie Partee, executive director of the M/WBE Department. “Dallas ISD is at the forefront as it relates to ensuring racial equity.”
Partee said that the district is extremely fortunate to work under the leadership of strong women such as Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde and Deputy Superintendent of Staff and Racial Equity Pamela Lear in addition to the countless others who support the M/WBE Department and the district’s mission of educating all students for success.
Some of the other programs that the M/WBE Department offers are bonding and certification support, business development workshops and training sessions, contract compliance and monitoring, marketing, M/WBE advocacy, outreach, strategic partnerships, technical support, vendor expos, etc.
Fam Jams not only bring together parents from different schools but also bring together the team members who make them happen to offer the community a space for celebration, connection, learning, and resources.
Since 2019, schools from different regions are selected to host. Each Fam Jam involves coordination and collaboration with school team members, including community liaisons and parents, who play a critical role engaging families ensuring the event’s success, said Israel Rivera, executive director for Parent Advocacy and Support Services. The events are meticulously planned in the spring, so that each one is hosted by a school within a specific region, such as the upcoming kick off on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Skyline High School, which will serve the four vertical teams across regions 1 and 2.
According to data from previous years, more than 1,130 families usually participate in an in-person Fam Jam and engage in discussions on how to support learning at home. They also take advantage of immunizations, health screenings, free breakfast, prizes, and giveaways.
“We work closely with the schools to organize everything from performances to resource fairs,” Rivera said. “Our goal is to involve all the schools in the vertical teams and create an engaging experience for everyone.”
The preparation for these events is extensive. From setting up decorations and organizing tables to coordinating with partners and community organizations, Rivera and his team ensure that every detail is accounted for. They begin their setup early, including the day before, to make sure everything is ready for the event.
“We have bands, balloons, and a variety of decorations to create an inviting atmosphere,” Rivera said. “Our partners and community organizations are crucial to this process, providing valuable resources and support.”
Fam Jams also serve as a platform for team members to connect with families outside the classroom environment. While the focus is on building relationships rather than discussing academic performance, the events offer opportunities for families to learn about district resources and engage with different departments. This year, there’s an added focus on enhancing special education resources at the events.
“We invite team members to join us because it’s a chance to build trust and show families that we are here to support them,” Rivera said. “We want to make sure that all families feel included and have access to the information they need.”
Chelsea Liles, family and community engagement coordinator, finds great fulfillment in working on Fam Jam.
“One of the most rewarding aspects has been witnessing the growth of our event and the increasing engagement from our families,” said Liles, who is involved in marketing and logistics. “Every Fam Jam provides a unique opportunity to bring our ideas to life, from detailed marketing strategies to on-the-ground execution.”
Liles and her colleague, Ingrid Baylon, start collaborating months in advance, with marketing materials prepared as early as May, and every detail carefully planned with the families’ needs in mind. Their shared passion for these events has cultivated a strong working relationship, essential for managing these large-scale events. For Liles, the highlight is seeing the direct impact on the community and interacting with the diverse individuals who contribute to their success.
“There is no Saturday like a Fam Jam Saturday; there is no other district or any other set of parents I would wake up for on a Saturday at 4 a.m., besides our amazing Dallas ISD families and these incredible Fam Jam events,” Liles said.
Ever since Marisela Lopez was a teenager, she knew she someday wanted to be an athletic director. She now finds herself in that role at Dallas ISD, where she has worked for the last 18 years.
Lopez, who is the assistant athletic director who oversees all soccer and cross country programs for the district, has created opportunities for student athletes—opportunities she sought when she was a student athlete.
This summer, Dallas Athletics Club, a soccer club that she founded, traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lopez first got the idea to start this organization in 2019 when she was at Sunset High School. She took her soccer girls team to Spain and France, and, when Lopez became assistant athletic director, she created this club to offer this opportunity to excel to boys and girls in the district’s high schools.
This summer, Lopez took two different soccer teams composed of 17 girls and 17 boys to Argentina, along with chaperones. The students and chaperones, some of whom are soccer coaches, toured the city and had the opportunity to play three friendly games against teams from Argentina. They even got to see the iconic stadiums where Club Atlético Boca Juniors and Club Atlético River Plate play.
“The main goal was to give our kids an opportunity and a chance of a lifetime to go and play in another country,” Lopez said. “One of our boys got scouted from one of the Argentina professional teams, so we were hoping also for the kids to get recognized or even scouted.”
Lopez mentioned that two of the chaperones, Gabriel Valles and Miguel Valles, who are brothers and teachers at W.W. Samuell High School and Piedmont Global Academy, had had the opportunity to visit Argentina through another organization, when they were students. She said the brothers knew first-hand what this experience was like for the students and how it could be life changing.
Approximately 68 persons attended the trip, including students, parents, and grandparents, which contributed to the students’ experience. This was the inaugural trip for the Dallas Athletics Club, and plans to expand the opportunity to more students. She and assistant athletic director Cinnamon Sheffield are taking volleyball girls to Italy, and Lopez is planning to take the soccer students to England next year.
“I was very proud of myself. It took me four years just because I was new to the assistant athletic director position and a lot of people would ask me, ‘Lopez, what are you going to do? Are you going to create your own team?’ Because they knew what I wanted to do,” she said.
Two of Lopez’s goals were to start the Dallas Athletics Club and a senior showcase for soccer seniors, which Lopez has accomplished. Last April, seniors participated in the inaugural soccer senior showcase, playing friendly games against each other, for the chance for local colleges and universities to recruit talent.
This was the first time that Lopez had done this and turnout and the support was incredible, she said. She said what sparked the idea was a similar program in her hometown of El Paso, where she worked in athletics before coming to the district 18 years ago.
Lopez always knew that she would assume a leadership position in athletics, something she had dreamed about since she was a sophomore in high school. She said that it was an athletic director who talked to her and other teens after she had gotten into a little trouble at school.
“When she went around the table to ask us what we wanted to be when we grew up, I told her I wanted her job. I knew this was my dream job,” Lopez said.
She knows the challenges that student athletes face in balancing schoolwork, life, and sports as she played several sports—volleyball, basketball, soccer, track, and club softball. When she graduated from high school, she was a teen parent, who had several scholarship offers. While being a parent at an early age was challenging, Lopez admits, she continued with her studies and never lost sight of her dream.
She credits her father and the mentors Patty Mullaney and Roger Velazquez who inspired her along the way. She also credits various coaches who assisted her with the project, including Veronica Ulloa, assistant principal at Hillcrest High School and teacher Gerald Solorio at Moises E. Molina High School.
Lopez never forgot about the community she came from in El Paso, where she was a student in the Ysleta Independent School District. To give back to her community, two years ago, she established the Marisela Lopez Soccer Scholarship at her alma mater. While Lopez has achieved various milestones in her career already, she said she’s just getting started and has more goals she wants to reach.
“It’s all about the students,” she said. “I want students to have as many opportunities for them out there as possible. I’m thankful to be in this position to be able to continue to open new doors for them.”
Dallas ISD’s Mental Health Services has provided students with a sticker that includes the number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and other outreach resources if they are in crisis and has shared community resources to help team members address the topic with students:
