KPHS Partnered with North Attleborough High School on Sept. 19

King Philip Regional High School hosted Active Minds’ acclaimed “Send Silence Packing” traveling display for both King Philip and North Attleborough High School students on Monday, Sept. 19. The traveling display, which was available to students only during the school day, aims to end the silence that surrounds mental health and suicide, and connects visitors with resources for support and action.

The display at KPRHS is one of four displays to be hosted in Massachusetts this fall and the only one displayed at a high school. The display was organized and advocated for by Matt Kelley who is a senior at King Philip and the school’s Active Minds chapter president.

“I am so happy we are able to have this display at KP and am grateful for the generous donations and support we received,” said Kelley. “I hope this event will raise awareness and get people talking about the important issue of mental health.”

The all-day display includes personal stories from individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide and is designed to raise awareness about the impact of suicide, connect individuals to mental health resources and inspire action for suicide prevention. The display features Send Silence Packing backpacks that have photographs and stories attached to them. Many of the backpacks were donated by families who lost a loved one to suicide.

Counseling professionals from King Philip and North Attleboro Schools, and also from Riverside Emergency Services, were available for any student needing support.

This event was funded by the KyleCares Foundation, KP and North Attleboro Active Minds chapters, the Justine Metz Charitable Trust and generous donations from community members.

“We are very excited to be partnering with King Philip to share the Active Minds display with our student bodies,” North Attleborough Principal Peter Haviland said. “The students worked hard to organize this event, and we hope the North Attleborough and King Philip communities will use this opportunity to learn more about the mental health resources that exist.”

Added King Philip Regional Director of Wellness Dot Pearl, “We are extremely grateful to be able to host this display at our high school as it is imperative that we raise awareness about mental health and reduce the stigma that surrounds the topic. The partnership between North Attleboro and KP on this display extends each school’s efforts surrounding mental health and wellness while building community between the two schools which is great to see.”

To address changing needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Active Minds also launched a new companion exhibit designed to complement the in-person program - Send Silence Packing: Behind the Backpacks. This virtual, immersive experience gives users an in-depth look at the impact of suicide through personal stories, stigma reduction techniques and visual components such as videos, photos and audio. Visitors to Send Silence Packing will have a chance to learn more about Behind the Backpacks and easily share this program with friends, family and their community. 

About Active Minds

Active Minds is the nation’s premier nonprofit organization supporting mental health awareness and education for young adults. Active Minds has a presence at more than 800 campuses, schools, communities, and workplaces nationwide, and is powered by a robust Chapter Network, the nationally acclaimed Send Silence Packing® display, inspiring Active Minds Speakers and our tailored Active Minds @Work initiative. The organization is dedicated to ending the silence and changing the conversation about mental health for everyone. To learn more, visitwww.activeminds.org.