B.I.O.N.I.C. Team (Believe It Or Not I Care)
Sandy Austin was one of the most involved school counselors with the tragedy at Columbine High School. Two years later her own school experienced four student suicides. After talking with countless students and families during those tragedies, Sandy believed that a more caring climate in schools (kindergarten-college) was needed to reach students falling through the cracks to let them know they are “seen,” they “matter,” and people care. As a result, Sandy created the B.I.O.N.I.C. Team (Believe It Or Not I Care) to empower students to reach out to peers who were new, sick, hospitalized, bullied, or lost loved ones in hopes of preventing those from spiraling down into more serious issues. Sandy led B.I.O.N.I.C. Teams at two schools and the PTA’s were vital in helping to effectively establish the club. In 14 years 1,200 students reached out to over 140,000 peers, staff, families, and community members. The students started an international, award-winning movement of compassion that has changed school climates and saved lives…and the schools' PTA’s were vital in making that possible.