Our Story

In February 2016, Gina Godbehere, Bureau Chief in the Community Based Prosecution Division, had been called to the scene of a local high school shooting where two girls were found dead, teen victims of a heartbreaking, preventable, murder- suicide.

In the hours and days following the tragedy, there was a familiar feeling emerging…just like in countless other school tragedies, there had been numerous warning signs, only no one said or did anything to prevent it. After the investigation was completed and all of the information was compiled, Godbehere was compelled to create a solution. She wanted to create a way to help teens not only identify when someone is in a crisis, but empower them to know what to do with that information.  To spread awareness that when someone’s life is in danger, speaking up and telling a trusted adult is the right thing to do and it may just save a life. 

She took the idea to Leadership West, a community – based leadership program that engages, informs and inspires proven leaders in business, non-profits and government to leverage their time, talents and leadership capital to enhance the quality of life in the West Valley and Arizona. As a member of Leadership West Class XXII, Godbehere connected with Pendergast School District Superintendent Dr. Lily Matos DeBlieux and another class colleague, Jennifer Rogers.  They agreed that real change for this issue could be achieved for students in Arizona, but to have a true impact it needed to involve every sector from schools to law enforcement, to community resource partners and local leaders. Acknowledging that they may not be able to control all external factors that lead to shootings, suicides, depression, and bullying, they felt it necessary to collaborate to help empower the youth in schools throughout Arizona.

With sponsorship from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, the women’s planning eventually led to the creation and inauguration of the Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life Youth Conference. The daylong conference, the first of its kind in the state,  brought in students from 6-12th grades from across Arizona and introduced them to speakers who gave a voice to the difficult issues the students face on a daily basis, both inside and outside of school.

Students were given training in small groups on how to increase their own ability to speak out to help their peers. When planning for the conference, DeBlieux and Godbehere pulled together a team of volunteers who were professionals in their own right. Some were directly connected to Pendergast School District, others from Leadership West and the County Attorney’s Office, still others, colleagues and friends all interested in making a difference for the youth of today.

The adults were cognizant of the lessons they felt were critical to impart as part of the conference. They included training students to tell a “trusted adult” when they see behavior that could be harmful to another student. The planning team asked students why they did not speak up, and they were told, “The main obstacles were that they didn’t want to upset their friends, no one told them they should, and they didn’t think it would matter,” said Dr. DeBlieux, Pendergast District superintendent.  These obstacles were focused on and discussed in student-lead breakout sessions during the conference. Then students were inspired to create lasting solutions to these obstacles that they could implement back at their own schools.

Additionally, what made the conference unique was the outreach it also offered to adults. School staff, local leaders and law enforcement were involved in their own breakout sessions. These sessions brought together the different groups to talk about warning signs and how they can communicate better with students. Conference organizers also provided follow-up resource nights at different schools focused on helping educators and parents learn about the difficult issues students face and the programs and resources available in their own cities to help them.

The conference team wanted to ensure that adults knew how to be a “trusted adult” to these kids and have access to the resources that can get someone help. Godbehere shared, “As adults, if we are lucky enough to get a student to open up to us, we have to be willing to listen, truly listen and be open-minded to what they are saying. It’s not comfortable to talk with a child about self harm as way to deal with emotions, or listening to their ideas on taking their own lives, but it is our job and duty as adults to get through it and hear what our kids are experiencing in today’s world.” The event is a movement that has grown exponentially and the hope is to show kids that adults can and will listen, and they will encourage students to speak up.  

The Speak Up, Stand Up, Save a Life Conference completed their fourth annual event in January 2020. The inaugural conference brought together more than 1,000 attendees, while the conference grew to almost 5,000 attendees. The feedback from adults and students was encouraging. Jill Hicks, a parent of two teenagers shared, “It was a power-packed day full of kids and adults sharing their stories and perspectives around bullying, mental health and suicide. I talked to students at the conference who felt empowered to be part of this positive movement to save lives at their schools by speaking up!”

It will take time and more work, but the founders are making a difference, having impacted over 400,000 students throughout Arizona, and in time, they strongly believe they will change the tattletale mindset and get students and communities as a whole to speak up and take action before a tragedy occurs. 

A mindset change in our youth today may garner more than just a current solution to school tragedies like the one in Arizona or the shootings across America.  If adults have reservations about speaking up when they see something that is not right, is it surprising that the youth do not want to speak up when a classmate is in trouble? Imagine if this generation could change the mindset? What if we can convince teens that speaking up and standing up is the right thing to do? Not only could we prevent more tragedies at the schools, imagine what it could mean in five to 10 years. Joining the movement will save lives and empower the youth and adults for healthier and happier schools, families and communities.