01 · Storytelling
Stories that feel human
Dear You videos and an annual awareness campaign create visible moments that spark reflection, conversation, and meaningful check-ins.
Founding chapter launch at CU Boulder
Dear You
University of Colorado Boulder
Build a chapter students will actually feel.
Dear You is launching at CU Boulder through a founding team focused on storytelling, movement, peer-led outreach, and intentional connection before crisis occurs.
Why this matters
Connection before crisis.
Dear You is designed to create visible, human, and memorable moments CU Boulder students can walk into.
Colorado Snapshot
20.83
Colorado’s age-adjusted suicide fatality rate was 20.83 per 100,000 population in 2023, and the same rate was observed again in 2024.
Male Impact
77%
Colorado’s Office of Suicide Prevention reports that men represented 77% of suicide fatalities across all age groups in 2024.
About Dear You
From a national campaign to an on-campus movement.
Dear You began by bringing together 135 students across the country to share messages of hope and evolved into a chapter model built around belonging, care, and action.
How it started
After visits to more than 40 college campuses, it became clear that many schools had gaps in the communities they were reaching and in the ways they were addressing student wellbeing. Those experiences inspired Dear You to expand beyond storytelling into an in-person model designed to strengthen campus culture before crisis occurs.
Why CU Boulder now
Colorado’s age-adjusted suicide fatality rate was 20.83 per 100,000 population in both 2023 and 2024, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reports that men represented 77% of suicide fatalities in 2024. Dear You at CU Boulder is built to respond through visible care, stronger belonging, and student-led programming that creates connection before crisis occurs.
Chapter Model
Three ways Dear You creates real campus impact.
The model combines storytelling, movement, and peer-led outreach to reach students who may not engage with traditional mental health programming—especially men—while remaining open and inclusive to the full campus community.
02 · Peer-Led Outreach
Community students can walk into
Tabling, campus collaborations, and direct outreach make connection feel active, visible, and easier to enter.
03 · Fitness
Movement as connection
Training walks and the annual spring ruck turn resilience into a shared experience instead of something people carry alone.
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Presence
Lead by example and create a visible culture of wellbeing on campus.
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Kinship
Replace isolation with intentional belonging.
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Responsibility
Shift culture from passive awareness to active care.
Leadership Team
Small team. High ownership. Real impact.
Dear You is led by a small founding executive team rather than a traditional general-body model, giving each leader meaningful ownership over the chapter’s direction, culture, and first-year initiatives.
Overall Vision
Co-Presidents (2)
Before launch, founding leaders will complete QPR suicide prevention training and a hands-on Media Day. Throughout the year, they will also receive practical guidance on leadership, responsible mental health communication, event planning, and program design.
Key Initiatives
The first year is built around three core moments.
Two fall initiatives focus on awareness and storytelling. The spring culminates in Dear You’s flagship campus experience: Ruck Week.
Fall Launch
September 8 Chapter Launch / National Suicide Prevention Week
Leadership Development
Not just titles. Real training.
Dear You is committed to developing thoughtful leaders who carry forward a lifelong commitment to strengthening the wellbeing of their communities.
Cross-industry speakers
Sessions may include psychology researchers, civic leaders, investment bankers, PE/VC professionals, and others championing wellbeing in their work.
QPR at the start of the year
An evidence-based suicide prevention program equipping leaders to recognize warning signs, support someone in crisis, and connect them with the right resources.
Concept to completion
Leaders learn how to design and execute initiatives while tracking impact and building a chapter model that lasts beyond one semester.
Apply to the Founding Team
Help build Dear You at CU Boulder.
Join a small team of students committed to shaping a more connected campus through storytelling, movement, peer-led outreach, and shared responsibility for the wellbeing of those around us. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.