Youth Commission brings suicide prevention program to Brighton

The Brighton Youth Commission announces that they’ve contributed $6,000 to the Carson J Spencer Foundation in order to bring the Fire Within program to Brighton High School and Eagle Ridge Academy.

Through the FIRE Within program, young leaders apply business entrepreneurial strategies to suicide prevention, and in the process, transform themselves and their community. The Carson J Spencer Foundation accomplishes this by providing an intensive, yearlong curriculum, which, in partnership with Junior Achievement, teaches high school students hands-on business skills, entrepreneurism, and leadership all through the lens of advancing suicide prevention and awareness.  More than 30 hours of hands-on, in-classroom programming is delivered to students using a combination of Junior Achievement’s “Be Entrepreneurial!” program and CJSF’s entrepreneurial suicide prevention curriculum.  Students learn facts about teen suicide, research and identify the root causes of suicidal ideation among their peers, explore possible prevention and intervention strategies, and as a team develop and execute a business plan to prevent suicide within their own community.

In a business plan competition, student groups develop sustainable businesses that raise revenue and achieve market-based solutions to the issue of suicide prevention in their communities. Students compete for varying levels of seed money to implement their plans and realize their vision.  A combination of CJSF coaching and the expertise of volunteers from the business community prepare these students to be highly qualified for business plan competitions.  As an example, the youth in the FIRE Within have already won statewide business plan competitions such as DECA (a global association preparing emerging leaders for business success) and the Metro State Innovation Challenge. 

The BYC was able to raise money to bring this program to Brighton through its S.P.E.A.K (Suicide Prevention, Education, Awareness and Knowledge) Week activities in April. A special thanks to the following sponsors: Pennock Center for Counseling, Precision Design, Brighton Noon Rotary Club, Royal Plumbing and Heating, Brighton Chamber of Commerce / Business in Motion, United Power, A Perfect Location Realty, TGIF Networking LLC, Jim's Shoe Repair, Marketplace Wine & Spirits, Johnson Auto Plaza, Creations By Randi Jo, Eagle Ridge Academy, Platte Valley Medical Center, First Bank, Valley Bank & Trust, Chick Fil A, Walmart, and Brighton Ford.

The Brighton Youth Commission is a body of 20 youth and six adults that are appointed by City Council to study and investigate matters impacting youth in the City of Brighton. The commission plans and implements projects addressing these matters.

For more information on the Fire Within program here in Brighton or to learn more about the Brighton Youth Commission, please contact Youth Services Manager Tawnya Russell at 303.655.2123