Portland high school student Julia Hansen launched The Yellow Tulip Project after two of her closest friends committed suicide. The yellow is for happiness and hope; the tulips, newness and springtime. The project encourages schools and organizations to plant hope gardens to bring people together to talk about and de-stigmatize mental illness.

On Oct. 18, the Boothbay Region High School Interact Club, with help from the Boothbay Region Elementary School LOAFS, planted 100 yellow tulip bulbs for a hope garden at BRES'a new playground. It was a sunny afternoon but a brisk northerly breeze moved the project along at a good clip. Guidance from Interact adviser Ingrid Merrill and volunteers guaranteed the bulbs were set in at the proper depth with the right side up. 

According to the World Health Organization, depression is a common mental disorder, one of the main causes of disability worldwide; it is characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-esteem, inability to sleep or eat, fatigue and poor concentration; it can be long-lasting or recurrent, impacting ability to function at school or work and cope with daily life; severe depression can lead to suicide.   

The Interact Club plans to make the schools posters that will provide information on how students in need can get help, including a hotline number. The club also plans to create signage to make the hope garden more accessible to students and the community.

The idea is to plant more tulips each fall to continue to spread awareness of mental health. But on this day, the students were happy to just think about sowing the seeds of hope for tomorrow.