Testimonials

If you would like to contribute a testimonial, email the OK2SAY office.

• For the past few years, I have shared the OK2SAY message with my high school students.  As a classroom instructor, I am grateful for the direct message to help my students learn about the serious nature of school violence and mental illness. OK2SAY provides appropriate confidential contact platforms whether it be phone, text, online, email, or even a mobile app that should accommodate any situation students may find themselves in. I also appreciate the recognizable materials that serve as a reminder of an actionable remedy to counter school violence - Stop the Silence, Help End the Violence.
  Lisa Forrest, Marketing & Management Instructor, Bay-Arenac ISD Career Center
   
• "OK2SAY is an important resource to students because it helps everyone be kinder to create a healthy atmosphere."
  Aidan Kutches, Student, Montague High School
   
• "The OK2SAY program has been an instrumental part of safety for our schools. In my opinion, all schools should prioritize implementing this program."
  Brian Gard, Director of Safety & Health, National Heritage Academies
   
• "OK2SAY has been SO helpful to Fenton Area Public Schools over the years. They are professional, brief in the report, yet provide enough information to help kids and keep the school safe. THANK YOU, once again OK2SAY!!!"
  Laura Lemke, Principal, Fenton Senior High School
   
• "The OK2SAY program is truly a lifeline between our students and school officials. The information received from OK2SAY is usually the first time we have heard of the situation. This is a fantastic tool."
  Marshall Perkins, Lead Principal, Traverse City East Middle School
   
• "I continue to find this service highly useful. During this time where students are not in a physical school setting, the service provides a great resource for students to report concerns of others."
  Kenneth Voakes, Assistant Principal, Heritage Junior High School
   
• "Thank you for the amazing work you do for children! We appreciate this program and all of the work of the Michigan State Police. You make the world a better place."
  Liza Kelly, Executive Director of Labor Relations & Personnel, Howell Public Schools
   
• "I do appreciate this partnership.  Thank you for reaching out and providing a report."
  Connie Carroll, School Counselor, Pennfield Middle School
   
• "OK2SAY works because you can report anything from anywhere. With just a text or a message sent, threats of any sort can be reported confidentially and the person sending their message in can be confident that it will be taken care of."
  Bella Lee, Student, Eisenhower High School
   
• "Thank you to OK2SAY for providing us the tip information. It was very helpful and potentially could head off a dangerous situation based on all the information we had in front of us and collected. We appreciate everything you do and the quick action that was taken to help the situation." 
  Justin B. Dickerson, High School Principal, Bentley Community Schools
   
• "Great program which is continuing to provide good intelligence to both the school and law enforcement personnel." 
  Michael Cluster, School Resource Officer, New Buffalo Area Schools
   
• "I absolutely love this medium of communication. Keep up the great work!"
  Marshall Perkins, Principal, Holt Junior High School
   
• "I appreciate this service and the support that they provide for our school community."
  Kristin Stuedemann, Principal, Grand Traverse West Middle School
   
• "This is a fantastic program!  It's a wonderful way for students to get important information to adults who can be helpful."          
  Bridget Hondzinski, Assistant Principal from Holy Family Regional School
   
• "Thank you for keeping this service open to our students. I am so pleased with the immediate response to the problem as we were able to address it immediately."
  Traci Smith, High School Principal, Freeland High School
   
• "I love OK2SAY.  It really helps us identify situations that we did not know about."
  Jennifer Hiller, Principal Scranton Middle School
   
• "OK2SAY worked like clockwork.  Thanks!"
  John Shiner, Manistique Area Middle and High School
   
• This is a great service and it is comforting to know that folks in our community are vigilant in reporting concerns to keep our schools safe.
  Maryann Boddy, Superintendent/Principal, Manistique Area Schools
   
• "OK2SAY presentations have had a significant, and profound impact on our students and families in Imlay City.  In addition to raising awareness, students' exposure and access to the programs has spurred much conversation and reflection on safety issues, the importance of reporting them, and being mindful about interactions with others.  We look at everything here through the lens of learning - what are students getting from this experience?  In regards to these learning experiences, students are taking life lessons away that transcend the walls of our school and extend into their day-to-day lives.  That's very powerful and extremely important.  OK2SAY has given students the "green light" to report incidents directly, confidentially, and with the understanding that the right individuals will be involved and invested in solutions.  It has empowered our young people in a most important way.  The work of the  Michigan State Police and local law enforcement contributes to a safer, and healthier climate in our schools, and for that we're thankful.
  
  Undoubtedly, we've received information via OK2SAY that we would not have received from any other vehicle.  Since so many issues transpire outside of our walls and outside of school hours, it is critical that our students have a way to reach out and report critical information.  OK2SAY provides that outlet and connects in real-time with school officials.  As a result, we've been able to help individuals, connect them with help, and have been able to take a proactive and preventative approach with school safety issues."
  Dr. Stu Cameron, Superintendent, Imlay City Schools

• "The Rockford Public School District has been involved with OK2SAY since the 2015-2016 school year.  We utilize our Special Services Department, security team, and building administrators to address the numerous tips we receive.  We have received tips about our students having suicidal thoughts, experiencing self-harm, threats of school violence, drug use, and abuse, and other information specific to us.  We work closely with our law enforcement partners during school and after hours to address some of the concerns brought forth by OK2SAY that are of an urgent nature, or a criminal violation in need of a law enforcement intervention.  Our student body has embraced the program completely which is evident by continued successes in identifying and resolving concerns in an expeditious manner.  Parents of students appreciate our efforts by quickly responding to reports of suicidal thoughts, self-harm and other self-destructive behaviors.  All too often the behaviors reported were not known to the parents or were previously known and believed to be resolved.  Without the confidentiality of the OK2SAY program, a lot of this information would never be reported.
  
  For the Rockford School Community, OK2SAY is another tool for us to utilize in our efforts to maintain a healthy and safe school environment for our community, and we truly appreciate the efforts of the program helping us achieve that."
  Scott Beckman, District Director of Security, Rockford Public Schools

• "[OK2SAY] is clearly one of the most effective tools for students to report issues, harassment, and bullying in a confidential yet responsible manner.
  
  Our school has benefited from the information that we receive, not only to identify problems but also to discredit rumors too. It gives school officials much-needed time to possibly intervene before a situation escalates. It has been a valuable tool."
  Jim Ellis, Asst. Principal, Romeo High School

• "Before seeing the assembly program and beginning using OK2SAY, I was skeptical about how it would be used by students. After a year using [OK2SAY], I highly recommend that schools promote OK2SAY to students, parents, and others who are interested in keeping students safe.
  
  The tipline has been invaluable as a way for concerned individuals to let us know about issues that may be endangering one or more students, and tipline staff communicates information to us promptly, allowing staff to follow up in a timely manner.
  
  We have . . . gained valuable information through tips submitted."
  Michelle Herzing, Middle School Professor, Pennfield Middle School

• "[OK2SAY] is a . . . great way to give students a voice and be proactive in their school community."
  James Hunter, Principal, Liberty Middle School
   
• "OK2SAY is a must for every high school in Michigan. It affords students and staff a place to turn when they need it most. Anyone can encounter a situation where they need some help, but time, place, or circumstance does not afford the opportunity to get someone to intervene. OK2SAY provides the timely intervention that could possibly make all the difference in a person's well-being. It provides hope, support, and assistance to someone who needs it, at a time when they need it most. It provides an extra layer of safety and welfare for individuals, schools, and communities. All schools need to take advantage of the support and interventions this program provides. It can make a difference in the lives of young people."
  Ron Kramer, Assistant Principal, Ovid-Elsie High School
   
• "The single greatest deterrent [to] kids reporting possible dangers in school is the fear of retaliation. OK2SAY gives kids the opportunity to report without fear."
  Chris Kregel, School Administrator, Springport Public Schools
   
• "The students were engaged in [the student safety presentation] . . . and have found [the OK2SAY] reporting system to be fast and useful."
  Shae McKinnon, School Counselor, Bangor High School
   
• "In most cases, without OK2SAY the information would have never made it to us.  I have been pleased. It is streamlined, effective and useful!"
  Glenn Mitcham, Principal, Central Middle School (Ada, MI)
   
• "The people trained to work in this program are very professional and have excellent follow up and follow through."
  Denny J. Roehm, Principal, Portage West Middle School
   
• "OK2SAY is making a positive difference in the lives of students across the state of Michigan. Michigan's students are now empowered to take action with this system and are advocating for themselves, their friends, and others. Students have personally shared that OK2SAY is helping them have a supportive, safe and caring culture at school."
  Jo Spry, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning, Cedar Springs Public Schools
   
• "It has been most helpful in identifying students in need that we may not have otherwise known about."
  Erin Cole, School Counselor, Rockford Public School
   
• "OK2SAY is the first hotline that students of all ages can call make tips to local schools and police to inform them of any danger of self-harm that students make toward themselves or others. And the tipster does not feel like a snitch. Students are more apt to call in knowing that no one will ever know they called. It's a great program."
  Harry Werkema, Safety Officer, Wayland Union Schools
   
• "I fully support the OK2SAY program and would recommend it to other districts. OK2SAY enables students, parents, school staff, and other community stakeholders by confidentially allowing them to alert the school and/or law enforcement personnel to potential safety threats."
  Arthur W. O'Neal II, Chief of Security, Saginaw Public Schools
   
• "In the world of bullying prevention, we all need to be creative and think very differently. The OK2SAY program has changed the playing field and given kids and parents hope."
  Kevin Epling, Parent Advocate