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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

Children and adolescents in the United States continue to experience significant mental health concerns.

  • More than 1 in 7 U.S. youth ages 6–17 (16.5%) have a mental health disorder.
  • More than 5.3 million adolescents ages 12–17 (20.3%) in 2023 had a current diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition, including anxiety, depression, or behavior/conduct concerns.
  • Anxiety was the most commonly diagnosed condition among adolescents ages 12–17 in 2023, affecting 16.1% of adolescents.
  • 40% of U.S. high school students in 2023 experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
  • 20% of U.S. high school students in 2023 seriously considered attempting suicide.
  • Suicide was the second leading cause of death in 2023 for young people ages 10–14 and 15–24.
  • Only 50.6% of U.S. youth ages 6–17 with a mental health disorder receive treatment.
  • Adolescents with a current diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition were three times as likely to be disengaged from school compared to adolescents without a diagnosis.
  • Adolescents with a current diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition were five times as likely to miss 11 or more days of school for health reasons compared to adolescents without a diagnosis.

Sources:

  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Health Resources and Services Administration
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness
  • National Institute of Mental Health

ECHO Services

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

  • Child Protection: 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: 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: HERO, our own copyrighted Catholic-informed social emotional learning curriculum
  • Social work: Helping families meet basic needs and connect with community services

Who We Serve

ECHO partners with more than 20 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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