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ECHO

Empowering Local School Children with Hope and Opportunity

Empowering Children with Hope and Opportunity (ECHO) is a partnership between the University of Dayton Center for Catholic Education and local Catholic schools.

Staffed by licensed mental health therapists & social workers, ECHO aids teachers and administrators in helping remove non-academic barriers to learning ­— poverty, exposure to addiction, violence, discrimination, separation or physical and sexual abuse.

Because ECHO staff work with students every day in their schools, they gain valuable insights, build relationships with children and families, and can effectively provide counseling services. Our primary goal is to establish and support a healthy learning environment in each classroom so that children are unencumbered by the stresses of everyday life and are able to focus and learn.

Fast Facts

25

local schools served by ECHO

135 +

community partners

7,600 +

children served by ECHO

Supporting Students is Our Calling

ECHO Positive Outcomes

Licensed counselors and social workers make up the ECHO staff, who work with students every day in their schools. This regular interaction helps the ECHO staff to gain valuable insights, build relationships with children and families and effectively provide counseling services.
Meet the ECHO Staff
Serving Local Students, Families, Schools and Communities

Today, our children are bombarded with negative influences. These negative impacts often cause behavioral and emotional issues which require the expertise of ECHO's licensed mental health therapists and family advocates.

Statistics

From the National Alliance on Mental Illness:

  • 32% of teens in the United States experience anxiety disorders.
  • 1 in 5 youth aged 13-18 (21.4%) experience a severe mental health condition at some point during their life; for children aged 8-15, that estimate is 13%
  • 1-6 youths (ages 12-17) experienced a major depressive episode (MDE)
  • 25% of students (age 14+) with a mental health condition drop out of school.
  • 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24.
  • Suicide is the 2nd leading case of death among people aged 10-14
  • 1 in 5 people report that the pandemic had a significant negative impact on their mental health

ECHO Services

ECHO serves more than 7,600 local students, plus their families, schools and communities. Services provided include:

  • Child Protection: A Personal Safety Curriculum
  • Clinical referrals to outside providers with follow-up
  • Crisis intervention and safety assessments
  • Consultation and professional development training for faculty and administration
  • Counseling and consultation: For individuals, groups and families
  • High school preparation: Retreat for 8th grade students
  • HOPE Curriculum: A Drug Prevention Curriculum
  • In-school clinical observation and screening
  • Partnerships with agencies to address health and safety education
  • Peacemakers: Student leadership service group
  • Psycho-education: Choose Love: A Social and Emotional Learning Curriculum
  • Social work: Helping families meet basic needs and connect with community services

Who We Serve

ECHO partners with 25 local Catholic schools:
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Support ECHO

Every gift, regardless of size, makes an impact on the work of the ECHO program. Please take a moment to help us provide support and resources for children from under-resourced neighborhoods and diverse cultures.

ECHO adopts students and their families during the Christmas season through Giving Angels — a partnership with Hannah's Treasure Chest. With just $10, you can help make a student and their families holiday a little brighter.

Make a Gift Online
Explore More Ways to Give
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