Events archives - TheNANProject

Milford High School

December 12- We were at Milford High School presenting to the freshman! Milford High School has always been lovely to us and we alway enjoy returning back. The students always have so many questions and want to talk more about mental health. Thank you Mrs. Brudner for being so wonderful to us and the students!

Medway High School

December 10 and 11-The NAN Project Team was at at Medway High School doing presentations for the 10th grade health classes. The students at Medway High School know a lot about mental health, as they had a lot of questions. When we got to the discussion piece of our presentation, the majority of students could identify at least one “trusted adult” in their lives which is awesome! The students knew what steps to take if they were worried that friend was struggling. Thank you Medway High School for being so good to us and for being open in having a conversation about mental health awareness and suicide prevention!

Andover High School

December 5- The NAN Project Team returned back to Andover High School (Massachusetts). We spent the whole day presenting to junior heath classes. We love Andover, as they were one of the first schools The NAN Project started at. We’ll return to Andover High School on December 6th for two more classes.

Melrose High School

November 22- The NAN Project was back at Melrose High School presenting time groups of freshmen and covering the signs of depression and how to respond to a friend in crisis. Great questions from and discussions with the students. We’ll be back for a 4th and final day in December.

Coaching Day at YouForward, Lawrence

November 19- The NAN Project Team had a coaching day in Lawrence at YouForwardWe started the first part of the day with a creative art activity.Then in the afternoon the Peer Mentors practiced rehearsing their Comeback Stories. Then after their was some time to work one on one to edit and make more changes if they felt like they needed to.

Greater Lowell Technical High School

November 15- The NAN Project Team went to Greater Lowell Technical High School to present to various grades about mental health. We did our typical presentation, which includes: a general introduction as to why The NAN Project started, what our model is, and lastly we have a conversation with them about how to tell if a friend is struggling, and where the resources are.

The NAN Project on Channel 5

November 14- The NAN Project Team’s CEO, Ellen Dalton, Executive Director Jake Cavanaugh, and Peer Coordinator Elli Peltola were featured on WCVB Channel 5 Boston for their segment “5 for Good.” They were interviewed by anchor Erika Tarantal, and this segment was aired on Thursday, November 14 during the 7PM news. Ellen, Jake, and Elli discuss The NAN Project and the growing need for mental health awareness and suicide prevention programming in schools!

Melrose High School

November 12 – The NAN Project Team went to Melrose High School to start off our ongoing presentations to their freshman health classes. We returned to Melrose High School on Friday, November 15th to continue sharing hope and providing resources to saving lives!

Hopedale Junior Senior High School

November 8- The NAN Project Team presented to Hopedale Jr Sr High in Hopedale, Massachusetts. We did our typical presentation to the staff over there, with the intent of coming back to do more presentations for the students. These teachers were very appreciative for the resiliency our peer mentors have in sharing their stories. We will be returning to Hopedale in January to teach the faculty in our non-clinical suicide prevention training!

Methuen High School

November 5-The NAN Project Team was at Methuen High School presenting at one of the sessions for the Northeast Professional Educators Network (NPEN). There were two presentations of Comeback Stories, as well as an intro to The NAN Project overall. NPEN provides inter-district professional development to improve student learning. They cover mostly districts in the North Shore areas. The NAN Project also had a table with resources and handouts. Our goal is to make connections in middle and high schools to promote mental health awareness. Thank you to Methuen High School and to NPEN.

MAP Academy, Plymouth

October 31-The NAN Project Team took a day trip to Plymouth, MA to present to a small charter school called Map Academy. We met with a handful of their students, in hope that we could further work with them to become Peer Mentors for The NAN Project. We were in luck, because SO many of the students really related to the Peer Mentors who shared, and they’re excited to craft a comeback story and also go out into schools with us to help save lives! We will be starting our training with the students over at MAP Academy in early 2020 so stay tuned!

Stoneham High School JL11FUND

October 26- The NAN Project Team was a part of the JL11Fund Walk in Stoneham, MA. The JL11Fund is a non-profit organization that supports groups to demonstrate a commitment to reducing the risk of suicide in teens and young adults. The JL11Fund strives to work to bridge the gap in understanding between those who struggle with mental health, and their communities. “Blades,” the mascot from the Boston Bruins made an appearance at the walk and was there for anyone who wanted to take photos with him. There were a few great speakers at the walk that spoke about suicide prevention, wellness tools and reducing stigma in the community.

Medway High School

October 23- The NAN Project Team sent it all the way over Medway High School to do a presentation for the faculty before they had their parent-teacher night. The staff at Medway High School really appreciated the resiliency in our two Peer Coordinators, Elli and Lizzie, and wanted to discuss in more detail about their journey to recovery. We will be coming back to Medway in December to do presentations to the students!

Bromfield Middle School

October 9- The NAN Project Team went to The Bromfield School in Harvard, Massachusetts to speak to the 7th grade class. We did a little bit different of a presentation, where we went over what depression and anxiety looks like, and how to help a friend if they may be struggling. As you can see, these young folks were SO eager to talk about these topics, and it was awesome to see that many of them knew what to do if they or a friend might be struggling. We will be back in the next few weeks to share to the 8th graders!

Coaching Day for The Night For NAN

October 4- The NAN Project Team hosted another Coaching Day at the Malden office for Eliot Community Human Services. The peers spent the whole day working hard preparing for our big event– The Night For NAN. They created 300 grounding stones and painted over 80 books used as centerpieces for the gala. Thank you so much to all the peers who came to our coaching day today, you guys worked SO hard and we appreciate all the help!

QPR for Salem Academy Charter School

September 27-The NAN Project trained the staff and faculty at Salem Academy Charter School in QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention! We offer this training both to students and as professional development, or to any community group that wants to learn how to respond to person considering suicide.

Bromfield Middle School 8th Grade Class

September 26-The NAN Project Team presented to the eighth grade class at The Bromfield School, located in Harvard, MA. The students were SO eager to get involved in our discussion about mental health.

18th Peer Mentor Training

September 3, 5,10, 12- The NAN Project Team started off September doing our 18th Peer Mentor Training at YouForward, located in Lawrence MA! We had 5 amazing young women who were eager and open to becoming Peer Mentors for The NAN Project. We are very excited to have some more folks join our team as we are constantly growing!

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training to Students at Phillips Academy- Andover, MA

August 30- The NAN Project Team sent it over to Phillips Academy located in Andover, to teach some students on our suicide prevention model called Question, Persuade & Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Training. We had three classes of upperclassmen who are on the leadership team at Phillips Academy. They did an amazing job having a conversation with us regarding if a friend is struggling with suicide and how to support them.

Peer Mentor Training- Salem, MA

August 26- The NAN Project Team wrapped up a three-day Peer Mentor training at the New Liberty Innovation School of Salem. We went over public speaking skills, the typical high school presentation, and “awkward questions” students might ask, and did some group work on our new Peer Mentors’ Comeback Stories. Following this final training day, these incredible young people have graduated to Peer Mentor status! We can’t wait for them to share their stories of struggle, healing, and hope to high school students across the state in the upcoming academic year.

Eliot Community Human Services Back to School Event- Everett, MA

August 21- The NAN Project team hosted a table at the Eliot Family Resource Center for their 2nd annual Back to School Event. Last year the Resource Center was able to support over 580 children from Everett, Malden, Medford, Chelsea, Revere, and other nearby communities with new backpacks, school supplies, and $50 gift cards to Dicks Sporting Goods. This year, Eliot was expecting 500 families to register.

Team Empowerment Sounds of Change Event- Somerville, MA

August 15- The NAN Project team attended The Center for Teen Empowerment’s Sounds of Change event at The Somerville Community Growing Center. This event provided information on local mental health resources and featured youth performances on the topics of important social issues such as mental health stigma, gentrification, and transphobia. Our team made connections with local students and high school staff, and Elli performed her Comeback Story at the open mic!

DMH Listening Session-Gloucester, MA

August 14- The NAN Project Team attended the last of eight listening sessions for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The purpose of these listening sessions is to solicit feedback from the public, patients, and healthcare community on gaps and challenges of mental healthcare in the state, and discuss potential policy directions for the upcoming new year. Two of our Senior Peer Mentors spoke about their experiences in outpatient care, praising what worked for them and suggesting approaches that might have worked better. As young people with lived experience in mental health struggle, as well as individuals dedicated to mental health awareness and suicide prevention, our voices were an essential part of this conversation. We are glad to have this opportunity to directly impact public policy, and improve the quality and diversity of care for future generations. The NAN Project is helping to change the world!

National Night Out Somerville, MA

August 6- Some of The NAN Project Team’s Peer Mentors represented the NAN Project at the 16th annual National Night Out at Foss Park in Somerville. This event, held on the first Tuesday of every August, aims to introduce community members to their first responders and community partners in health and human services. Our team did some networking with educators and mental healthcare professionals in the area, and played some mental health Jeopardy with fairgoers of all ages. We had lots of fun, and spread the word about the valuable work we do in mental health awareness and suicide prevention, too!

DMH Listening Session- Lowell, MA

August 1-The NAN Project attended one of eight listening sessions for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services in Lowell, Massachusetts. The purpose of these listening sessions is to solicit feedback and new ideas from the public, patients, and healthcare community on gaps and challenges of mental healthcare in the state, and discuss potential policy directions for the upcoming new year. Three of our senior staff spoke about their experiences in outpatient care, touching on what worked for them and what could have worked better.

Girls Inc. Lynn, MA

July 17- The NAN Project team lead a workshop at the Girls Incorporated of Lynn, Massachusetts for three groups of girls entering 7th, 8th and 9th grade. They asked some insightful questions about what mental illness looks and feels like, and how they could help themselves or a friend who might be struggling. Peer Coordinator Elli Peltola and Senior Peer Mentor Greta Waag brought homemade grounding stones for the students to take with them, and each of our presenters left with some Girls Inc. gifts. Following this workshop, our goal is to create a model for talking about mental health with middle school students, similar to our model aimed at high school students. We love the great work Girls Inc. is doing to educate and empower young girls. Thanks to the wonderful group of students and staff in Lynn!

Dear Evan Hansen Broadway Play

Team Empowerment Presentation

July 12- The NAN Project Team sent it over to Somerville, Massachusetts to work with a youth group of mental wellness ambassadors from The Center of Team Empowerment. Unfortunately, the Somerville community lost a teen to suicide recently, so we came in to support and discuss the importance of asking for help with these young folks. They had a lot to say about mental health, and many great ideas on how to help a friend if they are struggling. We have collaborated with them many times before and its always a pleasure working with these amazing young people!

Senior Peer Mentor Training

July 9, 1, 23, 30 and August 6, 13- This is our second annual Senior Peer Mentor Training! This six-week, twelve-part training covers a wide variety of topics from DBT to motivational interviewing, domestic violence to art therapy, suicide prevention to mindful yoga and much more!

Signs of Suicide Filming

June 7, June 26- We had the great pleasure of collaborating with MindWise to create a new, updated video for their Signs-of Suicide school-based program. For the video, a couple of our Peer Mentors talked about their journey to recovery and how they stayed strong. This curriculum will be shown in thousands of schools across the country and will expose millions of students to the conversation around mental health. We are super excited to see the final product before it premieres within the schools!

Arlington Peer Mentor Training

June 13, June 18, June 20, June 25- The NAN Project team hosted the 16th Peer Mentor Training at the Young Adult Vocational Program(YAVP) in Arlington, Massachusetts! This was an exceptionally motivated crew, as they were very eager in learning more about mental health, and how to save lives by using their lived experience to teach students. We graduated 8 Peer Mentors, who we look forward to working with when schools start back up in the fall.

Peer Mentor Appreciation Day

June 15- Lastly, we hosted another Peer Mentor Appreciation Day this summer!

We wanted to have a day dedicated to the peer mentors to come and destress from the world, but also have some fun with The NAN Project. We had lots of fun soaking up the sun, playing lawn games, doing yoga, making tie dye, and having a nice BBQ. Thank you to all the peer mentors who attended!

Greater Lowell Technical High School Presentations

June 5, June 6- Lately we have been doing a lot of work in Lowell, Massachusetts. We recently visited Greater Lowell Technical High School, and spend two days doing our presentations with sophomore health classes. A lot of those students came up to the Peer Mentors afterwards, wanting to know more about their personal stories, or more about The NAN Project. It was a successful two days!

Lowell Peer Mentor Training

June 3, June 7, June 10, June 14- We finished our 15th Peer Mentor Training this June, at the Northeast Independent Living Program (NILP) in Lowell! We are excited to have trained nine new Peer Mentors, who we hope will join us in the schools this fall. This group was a lot of fun to work with, and we enjoyed getting to know them as we worked on crafting their comeback stories! We’re excited to bring these Peer Mentors to schools, after school programs, and future trainings as we continue our involvement with the Lowell and Lawrence communities.

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Trainer Certification

June 6- Peer Coordinator Elli Peltola and Senior Peer Mentor Sarah Dickie sent it all the way over to Northampton, Massachusetts to earn certification in teaching QPR for suicide prevention. We now have two more trainers prepared to teach this method to faculty and students in schools. Sarah and Elli learned a lot of valuable information for suicide prevention, and did a great job representing The NAN Project!

Salem Youth At Risk Conference

May 31- The NAN Project returned to Salem State for the 2019 Youth at Risk Conference! Attendees who stopped by our table snagged some of our ever popular

mental health postcards, and gave us a chance to introduce ourselves to their schools, programs, and community organizations on the North Shore! This year we were able to host our own workshop, and Peer Mentors Elli, Greta, Onix and Lizzie presented their comeback stories and answered some very thoughtful audience questions.

Newburyport Parent Night

May 29- Debbie Helms, from The Samaritans joined one of our Peer Coordinators, Elli Peltola at a parent night for the Newburyport District. They were having a discussion on how to support a child if they’re struggling with a mental health disorder. Elli did a typical presentation for us, and supported Debbie while she ran a workshop on suicide prevention. The parents were very grateful to hear a young person’s experience with mental health and seeing that is does get better with supports in place

Stoneham High School Presentations

May 29- We finished our presentations to Stoneham High School’s sophomore Health classes, complete with a few Juniors who joined us as their year winds down. Some of our new Peer Mentors from this spring’s training presented their stories and fielded some insightful questions from students. Thanks, Stoneham High, for another great year!

PM Presentations at Andover High School

May 21, 22- Towards the end of May, our presentations to Andover High School finished off the year strong. We’ve been presenting to health classes in Andover High School for a little over three years now, and we always have a really positive experience working with them. We have a peer leadership team within the school called Star, and we trained those students in QPR this year!

PM Presentations in Kingston

May 15 – Our Peer Mentors presented their comeback stories for a community event hosted by The Vineyard Church in Kingston, Mass! As we partner with more schools and community organizations on the South Shore, we’re reminder just how many of us have been affected by suicide and mental health challenges. Much of the audience last Wednesday had experienced a recent loss – and we commend them for their dedication to an issue so close to home. We will be returning soon to train this same group in QPR, to provide more discussion and an explanation of concrete skills for speaking to someone in crisis.

Comeback Stories at Lowell High School

May 6, 8, 10 – The NAN Project returned to Lowell High School to present to second semester sophomore health students! A number of our recently trained Peer Mentors read their stories for the first time during our Lowell Presentations, impressing our team and students alike. Our Q&A sessions at Lowell High always last until the bell rings – thanks to a number of health teachers who have made mental health a priority in their classrooms! We also traveled to the Lowell Boys and Girls Club, to present to a younger group of students that meet after school.

Presenting at Peace by Peace in Fall River

May 2 – The NAN Project Peer Mentors presented their Comeback Stories as part of the United Neighbors for Fall River’s annual Peace by Piece Summit. This summit was open to high school students from multiple Fall River high schools, with the goal engaging their communities in discussions about community violence, bullying, and substance abuse. Too often, conversations about these topics ignore mental health, so we were thrilled to be a part of this summit. Students attending Peace by Piece participated in workshops and activities, and listened to our Peer Mentors as this years speakers. These Fall River students stepped up to ask us some wonderful questions about our experiences and their own.

Tabling at DPH Suicide Prevention Conference in Framingham

May 1-2 – The NAN Project Team attended the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Annual Suicide Prevention Conference, alongside suicide prevention experts from across the state! Our team attended workshops on suicide prevention through music and social justice, reconnected with our colleagues throughout the state, and introduced our mission to everyone who stopped by our table! Thanks to all of the attendees who took the time learn about The NAN Project!

Training Peer Mentors in Malden

April 5-12 – Thanks to a small, but productive training at the Eliot offices in Malden, we have added new Peer Mentors to our team!We’re excited to see these new Peer Mentors in action in the coming weeks.
We will be holding four more trainings in the coming months, in Lowell, Arlington, Salem, and Lawrence! To learn more about our trainings or send in an application to work with us, check out Become a Peer Mentor.

Tabling at Revere High School Self Care Fair

March 28 – Students and faculty at Revere High held their annual Self-Care Fair, a fun and engaging way to promote self care among students! The Revere High School gym was packed with resources and activities for students, including healthy snacks, self-care projects, and a petting zoo. Our Peer Mentors gave students a chance to test their mental health knowledge with a Jeopardy style game that featured common myths and stigma-reducing facts about anxiety, depression and suicidality. Students knew so much already and were eager to educate their friends – thanks to everyone who played!

Filming with Malden Access TV

March 15 – The NAN Project made their television debut, filming an episode of our show, The Promise of Hope. With the support of Malden Access TV, four of our peer mentors will appear on public access television, answering questions about their mental health and about The NAN Project in a talk-show format! After a few takes and the expert advice of the MATV crew, we were able to learn the ropes and put together a program that we can’t wait for you to see!

13th Peer Mentor Training in Lawrence

March 14 – 21 – The NAN Project held our 13th Peer Mentor Training at YouForward in Lawrence! We are so excited to add some new faces to our team as beginning Peer Mentors. As we continue to work in Lawrence and Lowell, these new Peer Mentors will start by shadowing a few presentations until they are ready to share their own stories!

To learn more about our Peer Mentors and how they are trained, check out Our Peer Mentors page!

To see the dates of our upcoming trainings, or submit an application to work with us, check out Become a Peer Mentor!

PM Presentations and QPR in Revere

March 5, 7 – Our Peer Mentors visited two after school groups at Revere High School; The Youth Health Leadership Commitee and The Power of Know. Both of these groups focus on projects that support the health and mental health of their peers and the greater Revere community, including a health fair that we’re excited to attend later in this semester! Our Peer Mentors shared their stories, and later returned to the YHLC to train students in QPR Suicide Prevention.

Tabling for TeenEmpowerment in Somerville

February 28, March 1 – The NAN Project Peer Mentors tabled at two community events, organized by young adults at TeenEmpowerment in Somerville. Thursday’s ‘Skills for Adulthood’ Fair featured a self-care strategies, resources and information tables, as well as inspiring public speakers — all organized and brought to the Somerville Public Library by high schoolers in the Library Youth Leaders group! TeenEmpowerment’s Mental Wellness Ambassadors hosted Friday’s ‘Faces of Mental Health’ event, which centered on an expressive art activity that asked participants to draw their mental health. At our table, young adults played Mental Health Jeopardy and got to know more about The Nan Project! Afterwards, we held a short discussion on the signs that a friend might be struggling, and strategies for supporting a peer who needs mental health resources. Thank you, TeenEmpowerment, for hosting these wonderful opportunities for their young adults!

Peer Mentor Coaching Day in Arlington

February 19 – For the Peer Mentors who made it to the Young Adult Vocational Program through the snow and slush, our February Coaching Day was a chance to work on their Comeback Stories, learn about other paid peer roles in mental health, and reflect on their self care! We’d like to thank Erin from Eliot’s Therapeutic Mentoring Program in Jamaica Plain for sitting with us and taking the time to explain and answer questions about this role and how it differs from the part time work our Peer Mentors do. Our clinical support, Donna Kausek, paid us a visit in the afternoon, and lead a discussion on the importance of self care for our Peer Mentors, who regularly share some of their most vulnerable moments in the classroom. Our team came up with some creative strategies and new opportunities to support each other. Another great coaching day!

Presentations to Eighth Grade at Bromfield School in Harvard

February 13 – As we continue to develop a model of The NAN Project specifically for middle schools and their younger students, we’re starting out in a few schools by pairing out presentations with more interactive mental health activities. At the Bromfield School, our Peer Mentors shared their Comeback Stories and lead a brainstorming session that asked students: What coping skills do you already have? What coping skills would you like to learn? Who are the supports in your life if you or a friend is struggling? These eighth graders showed more enthusiasm and interest in mental health than we see in some adults, making our class period with them fly by! We look forward to working more with the Bromfield School in the future, and will be back soon to meet with a few interested high school students!

Acton-Boxborough Health Class hosts Mentor Presentations

February 11 – Though a few of our presentations were rescheduled due to some nasty winter weather, we had a great start at Acton-Boxborough High School! The NAN Project Peer Mentors presented their Comeback Stories to four freshman health classes. We were lucky to be joined by Acton Boxborough student and Senior Peer Mentor Betty Markman, who herself joined The NAN Project after connecting with one of our presentations in 2017. Thanks Betty for spending your free period working with us! We’ll be back soon to finish our presentations and bring our message to more students!

Mentor Presentations at Framingham High

February 7 – It is always a special presentation when our Peer Mentors return to their own communities as speakers. Students can relate on an even deeper level to those Peer Mentors who, not to long ago, were sitting n the same classrooms. Our presentations to Framingham High School’s Phoenix Program was a return for our Senior Peer Mentor and alumna Onix (read his Peer Mentor Spotlight here!) Phoenix students and faculty were a receptive audience to our team’s stories.

Presentations at Phillips Academy in Andover

January 31 – The Active Minds Club at Phillips Academy hosted our Peer Mentors for an introduction to The NAN Project and a few Comeback Stories, pizza included! Our Q&A soon turned in to a student led discussion on the difficulties of balancing mental health and academics, as well as the stigma that often surrounds asking for help. With QPR trainings for staff and faculty, and upcoming presentations to more students, we look forward to supporting Phillips students in their goals to reduce stigma.

QPR Training in Stoneham and Lawrence

January 28, 29 – We spent this week training high school students from both Stoneham High School and Phoenix Academy Lawrence in the QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Suicide Prevention. This two hour training is a useful tool for these young adults, providing them with both education in the signs and symptoms of a person who is struggling, and empowering them to access the mental health resources in their communities. While we offer QPR to staff and faculty, these students can play a special role in supporting their friends and peers by connecting them to trusted adults.

Tabling at Tufts for Stigma Unstuck

January 24 – The NAN Project spent an evening at Tufts for Stigma Unstuck, the opening reception event for their exhibition of artist Lynda Cutrell’s The Many Faces of Our Mental Health. Cutrell’s installation features a series of paintings, two sculptures, and 99 photographs of subjects who may experience bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or no symptoms at all. The unlabeled photographs show that while we may hear a single story or expect a single picture of these disorders, there is so much more diversity and joy in the lives of people with mental health diagnoses. We thank everyone who dropped by our table to say, “Hi!” and learn more about The NAN Project.

Presentations to Lowell High School

January 14-18 – In under a week, The NAN Project’s presentations reached every sophomore health class at Lowell High School. We were grateful for this opportunity to meet so many students, and glad to create a time for them to talk about mental health, especially after the suicide death of their classmate. Though it can be difficult to have these conversations after a suicide, we were welcomed into the school community by staff and students. We hope to return to Lowell soon and continue to create a school culture that supports any student who is struggling.

MBHP Statewide Initiative – Worcester

January 11 – The NAN Project was recently invited to Worcester Polytechnic Institute to attend the quarterly Mass Behavioral Health Partnership Statewide Initiative, an event where Emergency Service Providers (ESPs) from all over the Commonwealth meet to discuss important issues they face in their line of work. We were asked to introduce The NAN Project, since the populations we work with often overlaps with those seen by the ESPs when they respond to crisis in schools. We at The NAN Project are on the prevention end, while ESPs are on the intervention end. We were greeted with enthusiasm and curiosity of how one could better talk to someone who is struggling.

Americorps QPR Training in Boston

January 10 – After our presentations in Milford, we ventured to the Codman Great Hall in Boston to meet with local Americorps members. Here, we were asked to train them all in the QPR model of Suicide Prevention. We discussed the importance of asking the question, “Are you thinking of suicide?” We then went through the steps of how to talk to a person in crisis and where to seek help.

Presentations at Milford High School

January 10th – We brought our Peer Mentors back to Milford High School to present to their Sophomore Health Class. Here, we gave an introduction as to what The NAN Project is, and had our Peer Mentors share their stories of lived experiences through mental health challenges. We then went on to lead a discussion about the supports in their communities.

Coaching Day at Eliot CHS – Malden

January 9 – The NAN Project held another successful Coaching Day at the Eliot offices in Malden! Here, we invited our Peer Mentors and a few potential new Peer Mentors to go over some presentation Do’s and Don’ts. We then did some refinement on Comeback Stories, and participated in a Guided Meditation exercise.

Stoneham High School Presentations

January 7 – The NAN Project returned again to Stoneham High School for another round of presentations to their health classes. Our team of Peer Mentors shared their comeback stories and lead a question and answer session from Stoneham students. As always, we discussed signs that a friend or classmate might be struggling with a mental health challenge, and how to refer a friend to the trusted adults in their lives. Health curriculum has come a long way! We’ll be back next month to train Stoneham peer leadership in QPR Suicide Prevention – see you soon!

Lawrence NANIX Unveils Mural

December 18 – Our Peer Leadership Team at Phoenix Academy – also known as NANIX – completed work on their mural project and unveiled it in a powerful moment for both staff and students. NANIX students dedicated hours each week to work with art therapist Fernanda from LA House to create a piece that reflected the strengths and resilience of their community in the aftermath of the Colombia Gas Explosions and to honor their classmate, Leo, who died during that disaster. This amazing group of young people took ownership of their work and learned to heal through art. It was such a pleasure to work with this inspired collection of students! To learn more read our blog post about the unveiling here.

Peer Presentations to Malden High School

December 17- Our presentation to Malden High school health classes on December 17th were our final presentations of 2018! As with so many of our discussions this year, Malden High students were eager to talk to our Peer Mentors; both about mental health and how they could help a friend who was struggling.

Peer presentations at Arlington High School

Presentations at Medford High School

December 3-7 – Over the course of three school days, The NAN Project presented to 15 sophomore and freshman health classes! We had some great discussions about mental health and how to support a friend, as well as lots of questions about visiting therapy dog, Lilly!

Presenting in Harvard at The Bromfield School

December 4 – The NAN Project traveled to Harvard, Mass to present to a younger audience, the eighth grade class of The Bromfield School! We had so many questions from the classes that we’ll be returning soon to continue the discussion!

Presentations to Andover’s Phillips Academy Staff

December 3 – The staff and faculty of Phillips Academy invited a team of our young people to present their comeback stories. We thank the faculty for their attention, time, and insightful questions, and are excited to begin our work with Phillips students in the coming months!

Coaching Day at Eliot CHS in Malden

November 16 – Both seasoned peer mentors and new team members sat down to workshop their Comeback Stories on our Coaching Day. Our mission for the day; identify the message you want to spread by sharing your story, and, as a team, identify the ways your story can reflect that message. By the end of the day, we had new drafts, stronger stories, and a fresh perspective on the work we do. Special thanks to our guests from The Cummings Foundation for coming to meet us and participating in our discussion!

QPR for Stoneham Youth Coalition

On November 15, Peer Coordinators Lizzie and Elli trained the Stoneham Youth Coalition in QPR Suicide Prevention. In this two hour training, students covered risk and protective factors for suicide, signs that someone may be struggling, and most importantly, how to refer a person in crisis to the professional help that they need. Thank you to the coalition leaders for hosting this training, and to Eliot clinician Donna Kausek for her support of our trainers!

Peer Presentations at Andover High School

The NAN Project happily returned to one of the first schools to host our peer mentor presentations, Andover High School. On November 13th and 14th, our team presented to eight health classes, and discussed with each how to access mental health supports in their school and community. We’ll be back soon to work with the STAR peer leadership team!

Peer Presentations to Hamilton-Wenham’s Senior Class!

November 7&8- The NAN Project was invited back to Nan’s Alma Mater, Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School to lead a discussion with their new class of Seniors in their respective Health classes. Here, we had our Peer Mentors share their stories of resilience throughout their life struggles. We then held a Q&A and a discussion of the anxieties that surround graduating and moving away to college. This engaging group of young adults were eager to talk about some of the topics they are worried about for when they go off to college, and how important it will be to create a network of supports when they leave home. Thank you to all of the HWRHS staff for making these past two days so great!

Professional Development in Malden, Medford Schools!

November 6th – The NAN Project was invited to both Malden and Medford High Schools as part of their respective election day teacher in-service. Malden staff and faculty were a wonderful audience for our Peer Mentors and their stories – with lots of questions for our team about how to help best support their students! In Medford, we partnered with Debbie Helms, executive director for The Samaritans of Merrimack Valley, to pair our Comeback Stories with an introduction to suicide prevention. Peer Coordinators Mike and Lizzie shared their stories to the staff of Medford High School, and our team of peer mentors answered the faculty’s thoughtful questions. In the presentation that followed, Helms debunked suicide myths, identified common risk factors and signs of suicide, and explained several ways to support a young person who is struggling.

Presentations to Freshman at Milford and Hamilton-Wenham High Schools!

October 22-25 – A team of our peer mentors presented to freshman health classes at Milford High School and Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School, reaching close to 200 students in only three days! Our presentations came at the end of these class’ mental health units — resulting in incredibly thoughtful questions and dicussion from the students we met this week. We are excited to return to these schools for more presentations in the future, and build up peer leadership teams within these communities.

A Night for Nan

October 18 – Our annual fundraiser was a wonderful opportunity to connect with our supports over the work that we do. Our program included stories from two senior peer mentors, and special recognition of our Friend For Life, Senator Lovely. Thank you to all of the guests who came out to spend the night with us, as well as those who supported through sponsorship and donation.

12th Peer Mentor Training Graduation – at YouForward Lawrence

October 12- After four days of training at the YouForward Drop-In Center in Lawrence, three new peer mentors have joined our team! Congratulations to these young people for the hard work they have put in to their Comeback Stories.

Mural Planning at Lawrence’s Phoenix Academy

Phoenix Academy’s Peer Leadership Team, NANIX, has been hard at work planning a mural, with the help of Fernanda from LA House. After reflecting on the fires that affected their community, and their own resiliency, students settled on a phoenix as the main subject of the mural. We hope the process will empower students to continue to rise from their challenges, and look forward to seeing the final piece!

Peer Leadership Teams in Lawrence & Stoneham!

October 4 – On Thursday, The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors were hard at work, and play, with Peer Leadership Teams at Phoenix Academy in Lawrence to kick off the day and later at Stoneham High School. The students in Lawrence are in the planning stages of a mural to show the resilience of both the city and the student body, after the loss of one of their peers during the gas explosions in September. The Stoneham group is gearing up for the year and will be taking our suicide prevention training later this fall. Awesome work done by all!

11th Peer Mentor Graduation…1st in Holyoke!

Tuesday, October 2 – The NAN Project is super excited to have graduated yet another amazing group of young adults from our 4 day Peer Mentor training. This was our first training out in Western Mass, which presented some logistical challenges, but totally worth the extra effort. Congratulations and a big thank you to Servicenet for hosting us! We’ll be getting these young people into a couple local schools like Westfield and Ludlow within the next couple of months.

Presenting to Eliot’s Therapeutic Ments

September 27 – The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors presented in front of Eliot’s Therapeutic Mentoring program in Worcester to give them an idea of what our work looks like. We had some great questions and follow up with the TMs and their supervisors! Hopefully this is the start of a long-term collaboration.

Presentations to EVERY student at Ludlow High

September 20 – On Thursday, The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors were busy with 4 presentations at Ludlow High School, one for each grade (900 students in total!!!!). There was tons of positive feedback from the students and faculty alike, with many asking how they can support family members or peers and letting us know how the stories resonated. A great first step, but we will be back as they school works to set up a Peer Leadership Team to carry on the conversation around mental health.

Arlington – Art with Alex to prepare for Night for NAN!

September 19 – We had a bit of fun on Wednesday getting ready for the Night For NAN creating centerpieces for the tables. It was a low key day of art, meditative breathing a lots of music at YAVP in Arlington. We can’t wait to show these off on October 18! If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, get them now, here.

Professional Development at Milford HS

September 18 – It was a full house on Tuesday when The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors provided professional development to the ENTIRE staff at Milford high school, from Spanish teachers to guidance counselors, and everyone in between (over 100 people in total). A big shout out to Jade (pictured), who presented her Comeback Story for the first time! After the presentations, we had half an hour of discussion with the teachers about what works when supporting students, what doesn’t, and what the next steps will be in the partnership between The NAN Project and Milford HS (hint: we’ll be in the classrooms later this fall). Thank you to our presenters and the folks at Milford for helping us open up the conversation around mental health in the school.

Educating Legislators on Beacon Hill

September 13 – The NAN Project was on Beacon Hill at the Mass Statehouse providing a legislative briefing to a group of legislators and their aides as part of World Suicide Prevention Week. The event was sponsored by Senators Lovely & Friedman along with Representatives Day, Tucker and Garlick and included an introduction from DMH Deputy Commissioner Emily Sherwood and presentations by 2 of our Peer Mentors, Belle and Mike A. Great exposure for an important cause!

Sacred Heart Catholic School

January 28- The NAN Project Team presented to the 7th and 8th graders over at Sacred Heart School over in Roslindale, MA. It was a great first presentation for them! The students had so many questions for Elli and Lizzie, and almost all the students said they could identify a trusted adult within their lives! Thanks so much, Sacred Heart Catholic for having us, and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the future!

QPR at Hopedale Jr. Sr. High School

QPR at Milford High School

January 17- The NAN Project was at Milford High School providing QPR Suicide prevention training for the entire faculty of 130. This work was made possible thanks to a generous grant from CHNA 6. We’ll be back for a 4th time this school year in March to have our peer mentors work with their freshmen health classes. Awesome job in the training Lizzie, Donna and Elli!

Graduation of our new Peer Mentors from Boston Training

January 16- The NAN Project had another graduation for their 20th Peer Mentor Training. The Graduation was held at The Mass Mental Health Center in Boston. Congratulations to all of the new Peer Mentors!! Everyone did a great job throughout the training. Excellent work!

Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School

January 13- The NAN Project Team was back at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School presenting to mix of all four grades! Every class was really open in talking about mental health. We had a great discussion regarding how to help a friend who’s struggling, what are trusted adults, and what are different coping skills to use in time of need. Thank you to Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School for having us back this year!

Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School

January 8- The NAN Project Team went back to Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School to present to four health classes. The students had great questions and were very engaged in the topic of mental health! We have had an ongoing relationship with Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School for a while now, and actually one of our founders and executive directors, Jake Cavanaugh is an alumnus from that high school! We will be coming back to Hamilton/Wenham on the 13th to continue spreading mental health awareness and suicide prevention!

Boston Massachusetts Mental Health Peer Mentor Training

January 7- The NAN Project began our 20th Peer Mentor Training! We’re looking forward to getting these great young people out to the schools to present their finished stories this spring. Thanks to the Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston for letting us use this space, and to the Cummings Foundation for support to make these trainings happen.

Milford High School

Medway High School

Andover High School

Melrose High School

Coaching Day at YouForward, Lawrence

Greater Lowell Technical High School

The NAN Project on Channel 5

Melrose High School

Hopedale Junior Senior High School

Methuen High School

MAP Academy, Plymouth

Stoneham High School JL11FUND

Medway High School

Bromfield Middle School

Coaching Day for The Night For NAN

QPR for Salem Academy Charter School

Bromfield Middle School 8th Grade Class

18th Peer Mentor Training

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training to Students at Phillips Academy- Andover, MA

Peer Mentor Training- Salem, MA

Eliot Community Human Services Back to School Event- Everett, MA

Team Empowerment Sounds of Change Event- Somerville, MA

DMH Listening Session-Gloucester, MA

National Night Out Somerville, MA

DMH Listening Session- Lowell, MA

Girls Inc. Lynn, MA

Dear Evan Hansen Broadway Play

Team Empowerment Presentation

Senior Peer Mentor Training

Signs of Suicide Filming

Arlington Peer Mentor Training

Peer Mentor Appreciation Day

June 15- Lastly, we hosted another Peer Mentor Appreciation Day this summer!

Greater Lowell Technical High School Presentations

Lowell Peer Mentor Training

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Trainer Certification

Salem Youth At Risk Conference

May 31- The NAN Project returned to Salem State for the 2019 Youth at Risk Conference! Attendees who stopped by our table snagged some of our ever popular

Newburyport Parent Night

Stoneham High School Presentations

PM Presentations at Andover High School

PM Presentations in Kingston

Comeback Stories at Lowell High School

Presenting at Peace by Peace in Fall River

Tabling at DPH Suicide Prevention Conference in Framingham

Training Peer Mentors in Malden

Tabling at Revere High School Self Care Fair

Filming with Malden Access TV

13th Peer Mentor Training in Lawrence

To learn more about our Peer Mentors and how they are trained, check out Our Peer Mentors page!

To see the dates of our upcoming trainings, or submit an application to work with us, check out Become a Peer Mentor!

PM Presentations and QPR in Revere

Tabling for TeenEmpowerment in Somerville

Peer Mentor Coaching Day in Arlington

Presentations to Eighth Grade at Bromfield School in Harvard

Acton-Boxborough Health Class hosts Mentor Presentations

Mentor Presentations at Framingham High

Presentations at Phillips Academy in Andover

QPR Training in Stoneham and Lawrence

Tabling at Tufts for Stigma Unstuck

Presentations to Lowell High School

MBHP Statewide Initiative – Worcester

Americorps QPR Training in Boston

Presentations at Milford High School

Coaching Day at Eliot CHS – Malden

Stoneham High School Presentations

Lawrence NANIX Unveils Mural

Peer Presentations to Malden High School

Peer presentations at Arlington High School

Presentations at Medford High School

Presenting in Harvard at The Bromfield School

Presentations to Andover’s Phillips Academy Staff

Coaching Day at Eliot CHS in Malden

QPR for Stoneham Youth Coalition

Peer Presentations at Andover High School

Peer Presentations to Hamilton-Wenham’s Senior Class!

Professional Development in Malden, Medford Schools!

Presentations to Freshman at Milford and Hamilton-Wenham High Schools!

A Night for Nan

12th Peer Mentor Training Graduation – at YouForward Lawrence

Mural Planning at Lawrence’s Phoenix Academy

Peer Leadership Teams in Lawrence & Stoneham!

11th Peer Mentor Graduation…1st in Holyoke!

Presenting to Eliot’s Therapeutic Ments

Presentations to EVERY student at Ludlow High

Arlington – Art with Alex to prepare for Night for NAN!

Professional Development at Milford HS

Educating Legislators on Beacon Hill

PM Coaching Day in Malden

September 6 – The NAN Project had a Coaching Day to help our Peer Mentors get ready for what will be a very busy fall. There was lots of 1-on-1 Comeback Story development, review of presentation skills and coaching on how to have a safe conversation around mental health.

Senior Peer Mentor Training Camp (days 5 & 6)

August 23rd marked the last day of our six week summer Senior Peer Mentor training!

We finished our Botvin LifeSkills Training with a lesson on relationship building. Thanks to Mike and Maria for not only introducing us to the language of collaboration, negotiation, and compromise, but for embodying these skills in the past six weeks.

Our Peer Mentors enjoyed ‘Art with Alex’ especially yesterday, taking some time to paint plant pots for succulents. These plants, just like our team, are incredibly resilient, and find ways to thrive and blossom even in the most challenging environments. Watering these plants will be a sweet reminder of both our time together and the importance of caring for oneself.

We owe many thanks to the Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation for funding this training. The assistance provided by The Tower Foundation has allowed our team to learn how to improve our support of those affected by mental health challenges.

To our newly graduated Senior Peer Mentors and to all who attended training, congratulations! We know you will put the lessons learned in training to great use in the schools this fall.

Senior Peer Mentor Training Camp (days 3 & 4)

August 2 & 9 – Wow is this summer flying by! We are now two thirds of the way through our training, having just completed the 3 day Mental Health First Aid certification and 4 out of 6 of the Botvin Lifeskills Transitions course. For our final two days, we’ll have Lifeskills in the morning followed by afternoons of art programming with an amazing art therapist from Raw Art Works. Awesome work everyone!

Presentations at Mass Mentors in New Bedford

July 25 – The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors presented their Comeback Stories to 25 therapeutic mentors at the Mass Mentor office in New Bedford on Wednesday. These folks work with young adults from all walks off life, providing guidance and support. We hope to be back to present at their programs and engage the youth in discussions about alternative supports they can turn to when struggling.

Senior Peer Mentor Training Camp (days 1 & 2) – Malden

July 19 & 26 – On our first day of a 6 week Senior Peer Mentor summer program at Eliot in Malden, we covered Botvin LifeSkills Training (which will occupy the morning session of each of the 6 days of training) and followed it with the LivingWorks Education‘s safeTALK suicide prevention training in the afternoon. This helped reinforce the QPR training all of our Peer Mentors have been through.

On Thursday, July 26 we again started off with Botvin LifeSkills Training in the morning, followed by Mental Health First Aid USA (MHFA) in the afternoon. The Peer Mentors life skills covered so far include, how to cope with transitions, what is effective communication, and how to set realistic goals. The MHFA was the first of 3 parts, and covered what mental health concerns look like and how to respond and get someone help.

The trainers are doing a great job keeping everyone up and moving; a big thank you is in order to Tracy, Mike, Maria, Cathy, Sarah and Donna. This also would not be possible without the support of the The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation and Eliot.

Peer Mentor Appreciation DAY!

New Recruits! GIFT graduation in Arlington

June 21 – The NAN Project was out scouting new potential Peer Mentors at the GIFT (Gathering Inspiring Future Talent) training graduation. This DMH funded program run by Kim Bisset provides young adults with the tools to craft their Comeback Stories and become peer mentors. The majority of The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors go through this program before taking our tailored training. We hope to recruit some of these amazing young people with powerful stories to come work for us!

Moving ahead at Framingham High School

June 15 – Today we met with a group of faculty from Framingham High School, including the principal, members of the Bridge re-entry & Phoenix programs and others who provide supports for the students. This was our initial foray into FHS, and the attendees were all super impressed with the presentations by Mike A, Onix and Sarah (her first time!!!). We can’t wait to come back in the fall to bring The NAN Project’s work to the student body.

Introductions at Milford High School

June 13 – The Prinicpal of Milford High School invited us to sit down with a few of their Staff in their Health Program to intrduce ourselves. We then had our Peer Cordinators share their Comeback Stories, and led a conversation about how we can work with their students once School is back in session. Thank you To all at Milford high School, for being so supportive of our mission.

Video Screening for Boston DMH

June 12 – We were invited to screen our video project 13 Reasons Why We Need To Talk About Suicide for the staff at Boston DMH. All who attened spoke of how this would be a great tool to combat the Stigma surrounding Mental Health, and were eager to utilize this in their practices. Thank you to everyone at The Department of Mental Health for making this a possibility

Peer Leadership Team Launch in Lawrence

June 12 – Today we sat down with a group of underclassmen at Phoenix Academy in Lawrence to help them launch their Peer Leadership Team. We came up with a name Nanix (Nan + Phoenix) and a mission: 1) To open up the conversation around mental health at their school; and, 2) Help their Peers access supports the ened for their mental health. Lots of great input from the students and we are excited to have a kick off event once school is back in September!

Malden What’s Next Panel

June 9 – We were in Malden, Massachusetts where our two Peer Coordinators, Mike and Lizzie, were on a panel to discuss mental health and the available supports at the Malden Teen Enrichment Center. They were joined by 2 students, a detective, and a lobbyist, with the mayor, chief of police and Representative Steven Ultrino in attendance. A great day with many positive connections made!

Stoneham High School, we’re back!

June 5 – The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors had outstanding, if long, day presenting to 4 of Stoneham High School sophomore health classes on Tuesday. These students were involved and had lots of thoughtful input to our discussions around depression, anxiety and how to access supports! We’re always glad to be back at one of our most active schools and help promote mental health awareness. This is also where we filmed one of our most popular vignettes from 13 Reasons Why We Need to Talk about Suicide. Check out the Anxiety vignette HERE.

Phoenix Academy presentations in Lawrence

June 4 – The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors presented at Phoenix Academy in Lawrence, Massachusetts. We had a great response from the students in attendance and are now working to establish a Peer Leadership Team at this charter school. Thank you to Erin for organizing this event and to our amazing Peer Mentors Elli, Rob, Mike A, Lizzie and Jocelyn for presenting and leading the discussion afterwards!!!

Here is some feedback from the school Social Worker “Thank you again for yesterday and please send our appreciation to your staff! They spoke beautifully and showed some serious courage in sharing their comeback stories. I overheard several students telling their teachers about the mental health awareness group and some of the ideas we discussed, definitely generated some buzz!”

Presenting at Salem’s New Liberty Innovation School

May 23 – The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors were amazing on Wednesday, presenting for an hour and a half at Salem’s New Liberty Innovation School. This alternative school within the Salem Public Schools serves students that have previously struggled in a traditional setting. We were given a VIP tour of the school, and then introduced ourselves to the students, and had our Peer Mentors present their Comeback Stories. The discussions after revolved around how to tell someone you are struggling, who are the trusted adults you can turn to, and how to access supports if you or a friend is having a hard time. This was just the start. We’re hoping to organize a summer GIFT Peer Mentor training here and return in the fall.

Hamilton-Wenham Senior Seminars

May 18 – On the last day of class for their Seniors, Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School asked The NAN Project to present as part of their Senior Seminar. Here, our Peer Mentors shared their stories of resilience, and led a discussion about Self-Care, the supports available in their communities, and anxiety around graduation and moving on to College. Thank you to the Staff at HWRHS for making this a possibility, and thank you to the HWRHS Class of 2018 for being an amazing and engaging audience. Congratulations!

Stoneham – Let’s Talk About It…

May 17 – The NAN Project an open-community forum titled “Let’s Talk About It..” at the First Congregational Church in Stoneham, MA. Ellen Dalton led a discussion addressing the Stigma surrounding Suicide and Mental Illness, and its effect on people. We then had our wonderful Peer Mentors share their Comeback Stories and led a discussion about what mental health issues look like for high school students, and how we can help young adults who may be struggling. Thank you to all the enthusiastic attendees who made this night such a success, thank you to our amazing Peer Mentors, Thank you to Senator Michael Day for the spectacular introduction, and thank you to the Stoneham Coalition on Substance Abuse Education & Prevention for making this event a possibility!

Salem High School Health Fair

May 17 – We were given the opportunity to set up a table for the annual Salem High School Health Fair! Here we debuted our own version of Jeopardy, that was expertly crafted by our own Project Coordinator Kelley! The students were very receptive of what we aimed to accomplish, and enjoyed partaking in answering various questions regarding Mental Health for candy as a reward. Thank you to the staff at Salem High School for all the support we have received, and for making this event a possibility!

The Bromfield School

May 16 – The NAN Project had its first presentation to a middle school audience, when our Peer Mentors presented to the entire 8th Grade Class of the Bromfield School in Harvard, MA. This attentive group were very receptive of our mission to destigmatize Mental Health and promote Emotional Wellbeing. Our Peer Mentors explained what various Mental Illnesses look like in a young person, and the anxieties a freshman may experience in high school, and what supports to turn to. Thank you to all of our Peer Mentors who attended, and we greatly appreciate all the support we have received from The Bromfield School!

Salem HS and Hawthorne Program

May 15 – Salem High School had The NAN Project present to an enthusiastic group of students from their Therapeutic Program about what Depression looks like and how to respond to a Peer in Crisis. We then moved down the hall to the Hawthorne Program, a bridge program for reintegrating students who have missed time from school. Here, the Peer Mentors discussed Positive Coping Strategies and what supports they have turned to when struggling with Mental Illnesses. Thank you to all of the Salem HS Staff who made this event a possibility!

Back to Andover High School!

May 8 & 9 – The NAN Project was back at Andover High School to present to the juniors again on Tuesday and Wednesday. Over the past 3 years, we have had our Peer Mentors at the school to present to nearly every single junior, over 1,000 in total! We love being here and working with these amazing young people, including their Peer Leadership Team, S.T.A.R. (Students Together Are Resilient). Can’t wait to be back in the fall!

13 Reasons Why We Need To Talk About Suicide

May 2 – We finally premiered The NAN Project’s first movie – 13 Reasons Why We Need To Talk About Suicide – at the DPH Mass Suicide Prevention Conference! The screening as a huge success, and sparked great interest within the audience. The video is in response to the Netflix series; in it, we cover the primary risk factors that can lead to a suicide, we dispel some myths around suicide, provide a range of coping skills, and outline what to do if you are concerned about a peer. It can be viewed on our Youtube page and our website (after 5/17).

Thank you to all who attended, all who helped make this Video Project a possibility, and to our amazing Videographer Dan!

DMH Annual Provider Forum

May 2 – At the Annual DMH Provider Forum, The NAN Project, in collaboration with Isabelle Cole from 13 Reasons To Fly, were invited to give an introduction to the Video projects that we have been working on together. We aired clips from both the 13 Reasons To Fly video, and our own 13 Reasons Why We Need To Talk About Suicide video. We then led a panel discussion about the videos and the messaging. Thank you to The Department of Mental Health for letting us share this with all who attended!

Presentation at CATS Academy

May 1 – We returned to CATS Academy in Braintree to have our Peer Mentors present their Comeback Stories to the Junior Class. We introduced ourselves, showed our Mission Statement Video, had our Peer Mentors share their Comeback, and led a discussion regarding Mental Health and Wellbeing. Thank you to the supportive staff at CATS who make this collaboration a possibility, and thank you to all the students who attended!

Teen Mental Health Summit

April 27 – The NAN Project attended the Teen Mental Health Summit at the DoubleTree hotel in Westborough. Here, We led a workshop titled Developing a Conversation Around Mental Health. Thank you to all who made this event such a success, and thank you to all who inquired about working with us in the future!

Presentations at Hamilton-Wenham

April 24 – The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors presented their Comeback Stories to the entire Junior Class at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School! Due to time constraints, our PMs presented to the entire class then hosted breakout sessions with smaller groups of 30 or so students to lead discussions and Q&A regarding Mental Health and what to do if you or a friend may be struggling. Thank you to the entire HWRHS team for giving us this amazing opportunity!

Peer Mentor Presentations to Salem School Staff

April 23 – The NAN Project was given the opportunity to introduce itself, and have our Peer Mentors share their Comeback Stories to the staff and counselors from the four (five??) different schools from Salem. They were very receptive and are eager to work with us to promote Mental Wellbeing; we’ll be back in mid-May to present to the students and get the conversation rolling!

Coaching Days at YouForward and YAVP

On the 18th Of April, YouForward Drop-In Center gave us the space to put on another Coaching Day for our Peer Mentors, and on the 20th of April YAVP did the same. These were great opportunities for our Peer Mentors to continue to work on their presentation skills, and to further refine their Comeback Stories. Thank you to all of our enthusiastic Peer Mentors who attended!

Mental Health Workshops at CATS Academy

April 17 – We were back at work discussing mental health concerns and how to get help for your peers at CATS Academy in Braintree on Tuesday. Our Peer Mentors did a great job opening up the conversation and responding to the questions posed by the students and faculty alike. We’ll be back to present to the second half of the junior class in early May.

QPR training @ Bunker Hill Community College

April 18 – The NAN Project provided QPR Training (Question, Persuade and Refer) to an amazing group of Human Services students at Bunker Hill Community College last night. This suicide prevention program provides a set of tools that empower individuals to feel comfortable checking in with a friend, relative or colleague who may be in distress, asking the tough question “Are you thinking about suicide?”, and where to turn for resources.

Peer Mentor graduation at YouForward in Lawrence

April 11 – The NAN Project graduated it’s latest group of almost 20 Peer Mentors at the YouForward drop-in center in Lawrence. Congratulations to all these amazing young adults for completing this 3 day training!

Hamilton-Wenham RHS introductions

April 10 – The NAN Project presented to the entire faculty of Hamilton Wenham Regional High School on Tuesday. This was Nan’s high school… it means so much for us to be back here working with some of the faculty that had Nan as a student. We will be back at the end of April for some Peer Mentor presentations and discussions about mental health and supports with the junior class.

Westfield High School community workshop

On Tuesday, April 3, The NAN Project presented Jon Mattleman and his workshop The Secret Lives of Teens to a group of parents and educators at Westfield High School. Jon did a great job engaging the audience and providing some useful tips on what teens are really thinking, what they fear, why they do not share more, and how adults can effectively support the teens in their lives. The presentation covered areas such as depression, suicide, ‘acting out’ behaviors, drug and alcohol use, and more.

Acton-Boxborough Health Classes

On Monday & Tuesday, April 2 &3, The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors presented their Comeback Stories to 16(!!!) health classes over two days. It was a lot of work, but totally worth it. The Peer Mentors engaged the students on the signs and symptoms of various mental health concerns; how to respond to a peer who is struggling; what supports are available in the community; and what coping skills young people can turn to when they’re stressed out. A long couple of days, but super rewarding with tons of positive feedback from the students.

Peabody Health Fair

Peabody Veterans Memorial High School recently hosted a Health fair for it’s students on the 27th of March, and The NAN Project was invited to attend and give a presentation. Here, we introduced ourselves as a project, aired our video explaining our mission, and had our Peer Mentors present their comeback stories. We then had a discussion with the students about how to spot signs of mental illness, and what supports they had in their community. Thank you to all of the students who attended for being so engaging and intuitive, and thank you to all on our team who helped make this event run so smoothly. We look forward to working more with the Peabody District in the future!

Filming for LGBQ vignette

On the 24th of March, the NAN Team banded together at the Eliot Community Human Services main office in Lexington to film a vignette for the LGBQ section of our video project, 13 Reasons Why We Need to Talk About Suicide. Here, we converted a room into a restaurant to set the scene for our film. Thank you to all of our Peer Mentors who lended a hand, and to our actors who worked vigorously on making this project a success! We plan to air the completed video project in May, so keep your eyes peeled!

Third Annual SuccessFest

On the 16th of March, the NAN Project was given a time slot in the 3rd annual SuccessFest conference. The workshop we ran was titled “Developing the Conversation around Mental Health in the Classroom.” Here, we introduced the NAN Project to all who attended, aired a short video reiterating our mission, and had a handful of our Peer Mentors share their stories and answer questions that were asked of them. Overall, the day was a resounding success! We look forward to keeping in touch with the many new contacts we made, and keep the conversation going!

South Shore VNA Youth Health Connection

On the 7th of March, The NAN Project attended a South Shore VNA Youth Health Connection meeting and was given the chance to introduce itself to many new faces. We were greatly commended by all for our efforts in suicide prevention, mental health advocation, and stigma reduction. This was a large step for us in getting into more schools in the South Shore area. Thank you to everyone who attended, Youth Health Connection members and Peer Mentors alike. With every person who helps in giving strength to our cause, we break down the stigma surrounding mental health challenges and give help to those who may need it.

Q.P.R. in Stoneham High School

Exciting news! At the beginning of March, The NAN Project was given the opportunity to educate the Stoneham High School Peer Leadership Team in the ways of suicide prevention. We began the two day QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) training on the 1st, and wrapped it up on the 5th with all 25 Peer Leaders graduating. Now these students will have another set of tools to address any friends and family who might be in crisis to provide them with the hope and access to help they need. Congratulations to all and thank you for your time and enthusiasm!

TEMPO/Wayside Peer Mentor training in Framingham

February 16 – We completed our 9th(!!!) Peer Mentor training at Wayside’s TEMPO program on Friday. The young adults developed their own Comeback Stories, underwent QPR suicide prevention training, learned to field awkward questions, brushed up on their presentations skills and much more. Good work guys!

Andover S.T.A.R. Peer Leaders to Museum of Science

On February 8, The NAN Project joined Andover High School’s STAR peer leadership team (Students Together Are Resilient) at the Museum of Science to check out the “Many Faces of Mental Health” exhibit. It was great to see the 30 or so students having fun, while learning about mental health.

Sunny, Mike, Kayla, Jake & Holly

Peer Mentors present to CATS Academy, Braintree

On Friday, February 1, The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors presented to around 50 faculty members at CATS Academy in Braintree. They followed this with a frank discussion about how the Peer Mentors would like to see teachers approach students who are struggling differently. We’ll be back to present to the students in the coming months!

January/February – PM Training at Tempo, Framingham

The NAN Project is training another great group of Peer Mentors at Wayside’s Tempo program in Framingham Can’t wait to see these folks in the schools telling their stories!

January 25 – Raw Art Works in Lynn

Our Night of HOPE at Raw Art Works in Lynn last Thursday evening was amazing! Congratulations to everyone in the HOPE (Helping Other People Endure) Group for pulling off this inspiring evening where they screened a bunch of short films and then hosted a panel discussion about mental health, in front of an audience of 150+!! We couldn’t be prouder! They did an outstanding job fielding questions about mental illness, strategies to respond to a peer in crisis, and how they found the strength to talk about their struggles and resiliency! We also had 15 youth serving community organizations attend and distribute information about the resources available to young people and their families in Lynn.

January 12 & 18 – DA Opioid Task Force in Lowell & Medford

Ellen Dalton introduced The NAN Project to the Middlesex District Attorney’s Opioid Task Force meetings in Lowell and Medford. DA Marian Ryan has been great about promoting community based organizations as a tool to fight the opioid crisis, which overlaps heavily with mental illness. We made lots of great connections and will continue to spread the word about mental health and the resources available in our communities.

January 10 – Stoneham High School

The NAN Project had a full day of presentations to over 100 students in 5 health classes at Stoneham High School. Great work by Mikes A & C, Kayla, Lizzie and first time presenter, Lexus! After every class, students came up to ask questions and thank these amazing Peer Mentors. Such a fulfilling experience and can’t wait to come back for more in the spring.

Thursdays in December – RAW, Lynn

The NAN Project has been working on posters related positive messaging around mental health in preparation for our health fair at Raw Art Works in January. This has been an awesome experience brainstorming ideas, carving images out of linoleum, and learning to work with printing presses. So much fun for such a good cause! Check out some of the examples below.

December 18 – Phoenix Academy, Lawrence

The NAN Project and Jon Mattleman provided an afternoon Professional Development workshops for a group of faculty at Phoenix Academy in Lawrence around the signs and responses to a student who may be in crisis. Jon always does an amazing job at these workshops getting the audience involved and keeping them engaged, even on a Friday afternoon!

December 15 & 18 – Andover

The NAN Project had two full days of presentations to over 200 students in 7 health classes at Andover High School. The students at were incredibly engaged and we had lots of good discussion around how to promote mental health awareness at the school and improve the social-emotional well-being of the student body. Our Peer Mentors get better and better every time they go out and present their Comeback Stories! Great work folks!

December 14 – Peer Mentor Graduation at STEPS

The NAN Project held a graduation for our 8th Peer Mentor class at STEPS in Arlington. This was an enthusiastic group with some amazing Comeback Stories that will really resonate with the students. The intensive 3 day training covered classroom presentation skills, how to field awkward questions, and lots of work on their Comeback Stories. These Peer Mentors also were certified in QPR which covers recognizing the signs and risks of a peer in crisis, and how to get them to the trusted adult and supports they need.

October 12, 17 & November 28 – Andover

The NAN Project just completed a three day QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training for a group of Peer Leaders at Andover High School. QPR training will provide this group of students with additional tools so they can support their peers in crisis, as well as empower them to better recognize the signs and risks of a student who may be struggling with a mental health concern. We finished the training with a session focused on role playing how to ask The Question- “Are you ok?” “Are you thinking of hurting yourself?” “Have you contemplated suicide?” These young adults did an amazing job with such difficult subject matter.

November 21 – Mass Mental Health Center, Boston

The NAN Project graduated our 7th class of Peer Mentors, this time from a training at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center in Boston! With several new school systems asking for our Peer Mentors to come present their comeback stories over the next couple months, these guys will be busy. I can’t wait to get to work with this amazing group and all of our other team members to provide mental health awareness, education and support to students across the Commonwealth.

Thursday, November 16 – Phoenix Academy, Lawrence

The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors presented their Comeback Stories to a group of 20 students at Phoenix Academy and opened up a dialogue with them around how to access their mental health supports and develop coping skills. We’ll be back in a couple weeks to help set up a Peer Leadership Team to carry out ongoing mental health awareness activities and normalize the conversation!

Thursday, November 2 – Raw Art Works, Lynn

The NAN Project had a full day at Raw Art Works, starting with filming Gladys presenting her incredible spoken word piece for our movie project – 13 Reasons Why We Need To Talk About Suicide. That evening we worked with our amazing group of Peer Mentors on improving their Comeback Stories, as well as acquainting ourselves with the letterpress we will be using for our “Breaking down Stigma” poster campaign.

Thank you to the Essex County Community Foundation for the grant that made possible this project – “There is Help & There is Hope: Mental Health Awareness through Art”.

October 6, 20, 27 – YouForward, Lawrence

The NAN Project graduated our 6TH!!! class of Peer Mentors at YouForward in Lawrence. Super excited to work with these young adults as the help open up the conversation around mental health in local classrooms!

October 25 – Mass PRA Conference, Marlborough

The Nan Project workshop on how to improve the conversation around mental health at today’s Mass Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association Conference was received extremely well. Our amazing Peer Mentors did a great job talking about their experiences working in local schools to improve the conversation around mental health. Lots of good feedback and discussion with representatives from the many agencies and schools there.

October 19 – A Night for NAN, Danvers

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to our incredible Night for NAN!!!! It was a wonderful evening punctuated by Ellen Dalton‘s beautiful intro to The NAN Project, presentations by 3 of our amazing Peer Mentors – Mike, Lizzie and Kayla – followed by some warm words from Senator Joan B. Lovely. The support and love in the room was palpable! Here are some pics, but more are to come.

Thank you to the amazing sponsors that made this evening happen –Danversport, Capital Lease Group, Ltd., Starkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage, Inc., The MENTOR Network, Ropes & Gray, eHana LLC, Telco Experts, AAFCPAs, Tier1Net Inc., W.B. Mason, Bank of America and KYOCERA Document Solutions America!

Thursday, October 5 & 12 – RAW, Lynn

We have kicked off our new collaboration with RAW in Lynn, a project titled “There is Help & There is Hope: Mental Health Awareness through Art” – an initiative made possible with the support of Essex County Community Foundation. We will be working with this amazing group of young people to promote mental health initiatives throughout the Lynn community by screening movies, encouraging student led awareness campaigns and hosting a mental health fair. We are so excited to be working with this creative, inspiring group for the next several months.

Friday, September 29 – YAVP, Arlington

We had another awesome Coaching Day with our amazing Peer Mentors on Friday at the Young Adult Vocational Program in Arlington on Friday. Everyone is geared up and ready for the new school year! Can’t wait to get back into the classrooms.

September 15, 21, 22 & 23 – Raw Art Works, Lynn

The NAN Project just graduated our 5th group of Peer Mentors in a new collaboration with RAW. We are so excited to work with this amazing group of students on our upcoming program – “There is Help & There is Hope: Mental Health Awareness through Art” – an initiative made possible with the support of Essex County Community Foundation. This project will continue over the next three months, with the final outcome being an art focused mental health awareness fair for the Lynn community.

Thursday, August 31 – CATS Academy, Braintree

Ellen Dalton & Jon Mattleman did an outstanding job today providing a morning of professional development to the faculty of CATS Academy in Braintree today. The staff were engaged and very receptive to the training and we will definitely be back to work with both educators and students in the coming school year.

August 15, 17 & 24 – Young Adult Vocational Program, Arlington

Congratulationsto our newest group of graduates from The NAN Project Peer Mentor Training! We look forward to further develop the skills which this wonderful group of PMs embody. Through their dedication and commitment to TNP, it is evident that they are all going to make big changes in this world. We look forward to working with you all!!

Friday, July 21 – Young Adult Vocational Program, Arlington

The NAN Project just completed another great coaching day at the Young Adult Vocational Program in Arlington, Massachusetts today with our amazing Peer Mentors! The young adults brushed up on telling their Comeback Stories, fielded questions they might get from students, and developed strategies to get the conversation around mental health going in the classroom. These folks are truly inspiring!

Friday, June 30 – YouForward, Lawrence

On Friday, The NAN Project graduated another amazing group of young adults who will now join our wonderful team of Peer Mentors! Thank you to everyone who took part in the training and especially to YouForward and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health for sharing their space and Cummings Foundation for all their support!

Thursday, May 18 – Urban Science Academy, West Roxbury

The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors presented their Comeback Stories to the school’s Student Support Team. Next school year, we will be presenting in the health classes and hope to start a Peer Leadership Team within the school to promote mental health awareness and emotional well-being.

Monday & Tuesday May 8 & 9, 2017 – Andover

The NAN Project‘s Peer Mentors presented their Comeback Stories to 8 health classes over two days – 150+ students and then engaged the students in some great discussions on how to improve culture of emotional well-being and turn up the conversation around mental health at AHS. A very rewarding and powerful couple of days, to be followed up by additional mental health awareness activities and suicide prevention training for groups within the school.

Friday April 28 – Teen mental health summit, Westborough

Rachely, Mike and Kayla knocked it outta the park today at the 3rd Annual #TeenMentalHealthSummit today! They had the audience captivated and the discussion flowing during The NAN Project’s workshop “Developing a Conversation around Mental Health”.

Wednesday April 26, 2017 – West Roxbury Academy

The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors presented their Comeback Stories to the Student Support Team at West Roxbury Academy, introducing them to The NAN Project and discussing ways to implement our programs throughout the school. They were very receptive, and we will now be providing professional development for the staff around suicide prevention to kick of the upcoming school year!

TUESDAY APRIL 11, 2017 – PEABODY

The NAN Project presented to 6 classes at Peabody Veterans Memorial High School’s Senior Health Day. The students were very open and frank when discussing the additional supports they would like to see within the school and how they find the health center quite helpful. One of the students even shared a poem she had written about her own struggles with mental health challenges. Overall the presentations went extremely well and got the conversation around mental health and emotional well-being started at the High School. A great start to what we hope will be a long-lasting partnership.

FRIDAY MARCH 31, 2017 – ACTON-BOXBOROUGH

Today The NAN Project presented to over 200 students at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School. We had great conversations with young people who had wonderful ideas about things they would like to see in their school. Many students were interested in continuing the conversation about mental wellness and The NAN Project will now help them start a Peer Leadership Group within the school. They definitely left with the message that there is help and there is hope!

Thursday MARCH 23, 2017 – Malden

Today The NAN Project assisted the Peer Leadership Team of students within Malden High School – The Generation for Hope – in putting on its first major event. They screened a short video about mental health challenges to a group of over 30 students and staff in the library and several Peer Mentors presented their Comeback Stories. The goal was to start an ongoing conversation around mental health and emotional well-being and improve awareness in the school and get more students involved in the group, which we definitely did. We’ll keep spreading the message of how important emotional well-being is in the coming months.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 22, 2017 – ANDOVER

The NAN Project had a productive morning working with an amazing group of Peer Leaders at Andover High School. The students had some awesome ideas on how to improve mental health awareness and ensure access to resources for students in need at the high school. This was the first meeting of this group and The NAN Project will be back in April to put together a concrete plan for moving forward. Thank you to all who took part and to Reading Cooperative for funding this initiative.

THURSDAY MARCH 16, 2017 – ACTON-BOXBOROUGH

The NAN Project had a super busy day on Thursday at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School with 4 Peer Mentors presenting their Comeback Stories to 8 freshman health classes, totalling over 200 students! The students were amazing and had some great suggestions on how to improve the culture of emotional wellbeing within the school. Great job to our Peer Mentors and we look forward to returning in the next couple of weeks.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16, 2017 – STONEHAM

The NAN Project had an amazing time at Stoneham High School on Thursday. First we met with a group of student Peer Leaders and made plans for a week of stress reduction activities at the end of the year, and discussed bringing our Peer Mentors to present in the sophomore health classes. Next, we introduced The NAN Project to the entire school staff, and two of our Peer Mentors knocked it out of the park with their Comeback Stories. Great job and awesome enthusiasm from all the students, educators and The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors! We’re excited to head back after the break for more mental health awareness work.

Rachely presenting her Comeback Story

Skylar & Ellen in Stoneham

Tuesday FEBRUARY 7, 2017 – STONEHAM

The NAN Project presented to the Stoneham School Council, a group made up of teachers, administrators, students and parents. We received some encouraging feedback regarding our initial work in the high school and hope to use this momentum to catapult our Peer Mentors into the health classes by the end of the year.

Wednesday february 1, 2017 – stoneham

A great job by our Peer Mentors presenting their Comeback Stories to a class of 35 peer leaders at Stoneham High School! Our only problem was that we ran out of time before answering all the students’ questions, so… we’re coming back in 2 weeks! Can’t wait to put together a concrete plan on how to improve the culture of emotional well-being in the school and develop a self sustaining group within the school. Awesome work from 3 of our amazing Peer Mentors – Anna (her first presentation!!), Skylar, and Cory.

Friday JANUARY 27, 2017 – Peer mentor training

Our second round of Peer Mentor training at the Arlington Young Adult Vocational Program kicked off today. Led by our trainer, Kim Bisset, the young adults in this new group were super attentive, engaging and enthusiastic. Can’t wait to get these guys and gals into the schools to tell their Comeback Stories!

The NAN Project will be conducting its second round of Peer Mentor training for a new group of young adults with lived experience a the Young Adult Vocational Program in Arlington On January 27, February 3, and February 10. If you are interested in taking part, you can apply to become a Peer Mentor HERE.

Wednesday January 27, 2017 – WESTFIELD

It was a full day for two of our superstar Peer Mentors, Skylar and Rachely, with presentations to the guidance and health staff in Westfield and then to the Westfield Youth Coalition! It was a long way to go, but totally worth it. Both groups were blown away by the Comeback Stories, and the discussions after showed the enthusiasm our Peer Mentors can elicit. We’ll be back to Westfield later this spring, hopefully getting into the classrooms to reduce the stigma around mental health concerns and improve the culture of emotional well-being throughout the Westfield schools. Good job Skylar and Rachely!

Friday January 20, 2017 – Stoneham

Awesome job done by 3 of our Peer Mentors – Cory, Cristiana, & first timer Michael! – presenting their Comeback Stories to a captivated room full of Health and PE staff at Stoneham High School! They were so impressed with these young adults that our discussion about how to improve the culture of emotional well-being and mental health awareness lasted over two hours. We’ll be back later this month to present to the School Council, provide professional development for all the educators, and finally to present to the students themselves. Good job to all who took part in this important first step!

Thursday December 15, 2016 – Lynn

Friday December 2, 2016 – andover

To close out a busy week, The NAN Project sponsored Jon Mattleman to provide an afternoon of professional development to the entire staff of Andover High School around improving the culture of emotional well-being. He and Ellen did amazing jobs of educating the educators and keeping them engaged, even on a Friday afternoon.

Thursday December 1, 2016

Another busy day for The NAN Project’s Peer Mentors, this time at Malden High School. These guys spent the afternoon working with a group of students brainstorming how to improve emotional well being in the school and promote the mental health resources available to students. Awesome job by both the Peer Mentors to get the conversation going and the students who took that conversation and ran with it. Can’t wait to go back next week!

Monday & Tuesday December 28 & 29, 2016

Amazing work by our 6 Peer Mentors presenting to 8 health classes (84 minutes each!!) at Andover High School over the last two days! All of our Peer Mentors (sorry, we only have pics of 3) did an amazing job telling their Comeback Stories to the students and following up with great conversations about how we can improve mental health awareness and the culture of emotional well-being in the community. We already have a group of students interested in establishing a group to keep the ball (and conversation) rolling at Andover High School! Thank you to the health staff, our Peer Mentors and everyone else who made the past two days such a success! We’ll be back on Friday providing emotional wellness training to the entire school staff.

Ellen, Cory, Skylar, Christiana & Lilly (front)

Tuesday November 8, 2016

The NAN Project provided a 4 hour training for the Everett School System’s Health and PE staff around mental health awareness. We started the morning with an introduction to The NAN Project and a discussion around what the school system is currently doing to promote the emotional well-being of their students. This was followed by a QPR training (Question, Persuade, Refer) which educates participants on the signs and responses to suicidal behavior, as well as how to ask the difficult question of someone who might be at risk. Finally, our Peer Mentors once again captivated the audience with their Comeback Stories…you could hear a pin drop during the presentations. The staff were incredibly impressed with these young people and the courage they showed. We hope our next step here will be into the classrooms to address the students directly, and after this workshop, we have no doubt that the attendees will be amongst our biggest champions in this push.

Thursday OCTOBER 27, 2016

The NAN Project had 3 Peer Mentors present their Comeback Stories to a group of over 30 Malden High School students and staff, with another 3 Peer Mentors providing support and some great input during the vibrant discussion that followed the presentation. Afterwards, over 15 students signed up to help develop a Peer Leadership Team within their school, exemplifying the powerful response students have to hearing the Comeback Stories, and The NAN Project was asked to return ASAP to present to additional students!

FRIDAY OCTOBER 14, 2016

The NAN Project graduated its first group of 20 Peer Mentors after they completed their 3 days of training with Kim Bisset. We are extremely proud of these young adults who will now be able to go into schools and tell their Comeback Stories to students and get the conversation started around mental health and suicide prevention. This was just the first of what we hope will be many similar trainings as The NAN Project grows and recruits additional young people to help spread the word about the importance of mental wellness.

FRIDAY, September 16 2016

The NAN Project began training our first group of Peer Mentors! These young adults with lived experience were trained to tell their stories in a meaningful, constructive manner to high school students, offering a path of hope for those who might be struggling. To apply to become a Peer Mentor, click HERE.

THURSDAY October 20, 2016

The NAN Project hosted an evening of food, drinks and laughter for friends, family and supporters of The NAN Project with all proceeds going towards increasing awareness around mental health and promoting suicide prevention programs in Massachusetts High Schools.

Friday AUGUST 26, 2016

The NAN Project attended the graduation ceremony for young adults who recently completed their GIFT (Gathering & Inspiring Future Talent) training today with Kim Bisset. A remarkable group who presented their stories of struggling with mental health and other adversities, and how they found their paths to hope and recovery. Not a dry eye in the crowd. Most will start training to become the first group of Peer Mentors for The NAN Project in just 3 short weeks!

ThursdaY JUNE 30, 2016

Day 2 of The NAN Project’s training for the Everett School System’s principals, department heads, and other senior administrators featuring 1) Mental Health 101 training 2) a panel discussion with parent partners on Mental Health in the Classroom: The School Experience from the Parents’ Perspective, and 3) a presentation by Jon Mattleman – Depression, Anxiety and Suicidality: Risks, Signs, Responses and Resources. Great training from the folks at Eliot, panel discussion with our parent partners, and workshop with Jon Mattleman…and a great view of Boston taboot.

Wednesday June 29, 2016

The NAN Project’s first workshop for the Everett School system’s senior administrators took place today, with Beth Pinals leading the interactive training program on how to build a culture of emotional well-being in the school community.

Thursday May 12, 2016

The NAN Project presented Jon Mattleman’s “The Secret Life of a MA Teen” to parents and teachers at Everett High School, including the senior administration of the Everett School system. The event was attended by over 100 parents, teachers and members of the Everett Community. The “High-Energy Presentation” focused on effective ways to help parents, educators and caregivers understand and assist adolescents as they traverse a difficult period in their lives, with the goal of creating a culture of mental wellness in our young adults.

THURSDAY MAY 12, 2016

The NAN Project took part in the Salem High School Teen Health Fair and the Wilmington Behavioral Health Fair, where Ellen Dalton presented in a breakout session about the mental health needs of young people and the benefits of using a peer-to-peer model to reduce the stigma around mental illness among high school students.

MONDAY MARCH 14, 2016

The NAN Project met with WBUR’s Lynn Jolicoeur at the Massachusetts Coalition for Suicide Prevention’s State House Day where she was accepting an award for her amazing 15 part series Suicide: A Crisis in the Shadows. If you haven’t listened to it yet, check it out herehttp://www.wbur.org/tags/suicide-crisis-series

If you need help and want to talk to someone, call:

Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

For the Crisis Text Line, text “Listen” to 741-741

For the Samaritans, Call or Text (877)870-4673

For immediate crisis evaluation call the Emergency Services Program / Mobile Crisis Intervention at 1-877-382-1609 & enter your zip code; you will get the phone number of the closest ESP/MCI that serves you.

Milford High School

Medway High School

Andover High School

Melrose High School

Coaching Day at YouForward, Lawrence

Greater Lowell Technical High School

The NAN Project on Channel 5

Melrose High School

Hopedale Junior Senior High School

Methuen High School

MAP Academy, Plymouth

Stoneham High School JL11FUND

Medway High School

Bromfield Middle School

Coaching Day for The Night For NAN

QPR for Salem Academy Charter School

Bromfield Middle School 8th Grade Class

18th Peer Mentor Training

Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Training to Students at Phillips Academy- Andover, MA

Peer Mentor Training- Salem, MA

Eliot Community Human Services Back to School Event- Everett, MA

Team Empowerment Sounds of Change Event- Somerville, MA

DMH Listening Session-Gloucester, MA

National Night Out Somerville, MA

DMH Listening Session- Lowell, MA

Girls Inc. Lynn, MA

Dear Evan Hansen Broadway Play

Team Empowerment Presentation

Senior Peer Mentor Training

Signs of Suicide Filming

Arlington Peer Mentor Training

Peer Mentor Appreciation Day

Greater Lowell Technical High School Presentations

Lowell Peer Mentor Training

QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Trainer Certification

Salem Youth At Risk Conference

Newburyport Parent Night

Stoneham High School Presentations

PM Presentations at Andover High School

PM Presentations in Kingston

Comeback Stories at Lowell High School

Presenting at Peace by Peace in Fall River

Tabling at DPH Suicide Prevention Conference in Framingham

Training Peer Mentors in Malden

Tabling at Revere High School Self Care Fair

Filming with Malden Access TV

13th Peer Mentor Training in Lawrence

PM Presentations and QPR in Revere

Tabling for TeenEmpowerment in Somerville

Peer Mentor Coaching Day in Arlington

Presentations to Eighth Grade at Bromfield School in Harvard

Acton-Boxborough Health Class hosts Mentor Presentations

Presentations at Phillips Academy in Andover

QPR Training in Stoneham and Lawrence

Tabling at Tufts for Stigma Unstuck

Presentations to Lowell High School

MBHP Statewide Initiative – Worcester

Stoneham High School Presentations

Lawrence NANIX Unveils Mural

<img decoding="async" src="https://thenanproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/IMG_1580-150x150.jpeg" alt="" width="183" height="183" />Peer presentations at Arlington High School

Presenting in Harvard at The Bromfield School

Presentations to Andover’s Phillips Academy Staff

Peer Presentations at Andover High School

Peer Presentations to Hamilton-Wenham’s Senior Class!

Professional Development in Malden, Medford Schools!

Peer presentations at Arlington High School