07/2026, 1000 Cranes turns 15!

Wow! What a milestone.

15 years ago, as I lay awake feeling lost and afraid, curled in my sleeping bag, tucked under a teacher's desk in a darkened village school, I could never have imagined we would be here. 

For those of you new to our story, 15 years ago, in a tiny, remote, Indigenous village by the Bering Sea, a young man's traumatic death inspired the folding of 1000 origami cranes and launched a global wave of social media support. Through the 1000 Cranes for Alaska campaign, the simple act of folding an origami crane and posting your picture became synonymous with "I see you and I stand with you." Thanks to all those who participated; together we were able to bring hope and healing to a grieving community, raise awareness around suicide prevention, and demonstrate the transformational power of arts engagement.

Today, 1000 Cranes has grown and softened in many ways. Reflecting back on the past 15 years, I'm amazed at how many twists and turns our story has taken. From folding those first few cranes out of butcher paper cut with safety scissors to becoming a global suicide prevention campaign, our story hit the ground running. We have seen our story told as a news outro, a dinner party anecdote,  a one-woman-show, a keynote speech, a memoir. And the best part? Our story is far from over. 

Next year will see the newest chapter of our story take flight: 1000 Cranes for Education, a digital resource hub helping educators and families center creativity, culture, and movement to improve learning and increase joy. 

In this new venture, I will be sharing the many lessons I have learned during the past 15 years of the 1000 Cranes experience. Through this resource, I'll be providing tools and strategies to educators, parents, administrators, and those with a vested interest in educating our young people. These tools and strategies help educators rebalance student behaviors, improve academic outcomes, strengthen relationships with students and families while increasing the capacity and opportunities for joy. For sneak previews at some of the topics, take a peek at my work on the socials.

I'm beyond excited at this newest development of 1000 Cranes and am looking forward to sharing our continued progress with you all.