Marking a decade of service, OK2SAY, Michigan's student safety initiative, celebrated its 10th anniversary with state dignitaries emphasizing its importance in school safety. According to WILX, the commemoration took place at Holt Middle School, where Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist and Michigan State Police Col. James Grady talked about the program's impact over the years.
Gilchrist underscored that as a parent, he values having a program like OK2SAY as a resource, especially in one of the worst moments, suggesting that it offers a layer of safety for students. Meanwhile, Col. Grady stated, "I think programs like [OK2SAY] are definitely beneficial for the state of Michigan and for our school systems." Dr. David Hornak, the Superintendent of Holt Public Schools, underlined the program's significance in providing peace of mind for administrators and keeping students safe. As per WILX, Hornak said, "Sometimes families are not aware that a student is in crisis and it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re going to do something towards the school but are maybe considering self-harm or something like that”.
In line with the celebration, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared September 15-21 as OK2SAY Student Safety Program Week. Since its inception in September 2014, the program has received over 56,000 tips, with the 2023 OK2SAY Annual Report showing an all-time high in incident reports. The top reported issues notably include suicide threats, bullying, drugs, mental health, and planned school attacks. As reported by the Michigan State Police Newsroom, Gilchrist reaffirmed the value of OK2SAY, stating that "Over ten years, the OK2SAY program has been an invaluable resource for Michigan students to speak up and report potential threats to their safety or the safety of others."
