50k People Reached
Amazing news! We just hit the milestone of 50,000 people reached through The NAN Project! This number represents the various students, community members, and stakeholders that we’ve been able to share our message of hope with since the beginning of our journey. We’d like to send a big thank you to all of our supporters for making this goal possible! Together, we are fighting the stigma against youth mental health and showing that recovery is possible. Let’s go Team NAN!
State House Briefing
On March 21st, The NAN Project presented a State House Briefing in Boston to garner support for our work in youth suicide prevention. Our peer mentors, Aiden and Emily, as well as an educator from a partner school and other team members had the opportunity to speak in front of MA legislators about the positive impact that the NAN Project has on youth mental health. State Representative Michael Day shared some amazing opening remarks and Senator Joan B. Lovely was a cohost! We feel gratified to have been given the platform to share our mission on Beacon Hill.
Successfest 2024
Our team had the opportunity to attend Successfest 2024 with the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health 
The theme of this year’s Successfest was Helping, Empowering, Accepting, and Loving. We were very happy to participate with a Peer Mentor presentation and some tabling to spread awareness about TNP
It was an incredible event focused on inspiring youth and motivating them to be active leaders in their communities
Sharing Kindness Summit
Yesterday, we had the pleasure of attending the Hope Squad Summit, held by Sharing Kindness It was a wonderful opportunity for students in the Cape Cod area to speak about being mental health leaders and discuss ways to collaborate. We got to present on our Peer to Peer model and then read two comeback stories! Thank you to Sharing Kindness and Hope Squad for allowing us to speak at this event
Empowering Women In History
Empowering Women In History
By: Kylee Harris
March is Women’s History Month! It’s only appropriate that we use this month to celebrate and acknowledge powerful important women in history that without, we wouldn’t be who we are as a society today. Their struggles and strength to stand up to injustice will forever be seen and heard as some of the most important history. This month, we invite you to expand your knowledge on some of the greatest women in history. Here’s just a few to inspire you!
Annie Oakley (1860-1926):
Annie Oakley (she/her), was arguably THE BEST sharpshooter in her time. From Ohio, at just 8 years old, Annie made her first shot that measured up to some of the adult men in her time. In her childhood and throughout her teens, Annie regularly hunted in order to provide food for her impoverished family. At only 5 feet tall and 15 years old, Annie won a shooting contest against experienced marksmen Frank E. Butler who was 10 years older than Annie. Despite inaccurate historical texts, Frank was actually humbled and impressed by her skills. Frank began to spend more time with Annie, and eventually ended up marrying her. Frank, who had a male partner in his shooting shows, invited Annie alongside him as they performed. Whens Frank’s partner fell ill, Annie went on to perform her skills alongside Frank. Soon, she became the star of the show, and Frank took a backseat. Annie went on to have an extremely successful life in a profession once thought of as a “Man’s Sport”. Annie went on to pay for her mom’s mortgage with her shooting skills, and made sure to support her family as much as she could. Annie Oakley was arguably the first female superstar in a male dominated industry, and she will never be forgotten for her bravery, skill, and dedication to changing history.
Marsha P Johnson (1945-1992):
Marsha P Johnson (she/her), was one of the most prominent figures in the gay rights movement in the 60’s and 70’s. She was an advocate for youth homelessness, those affected by HIV and AIDS, and the gay and transgender community. Assigned male at birth, Marsha grew up in an African American household in New Jersey with her 6 siblings. Her father worked in a GM assembly line, and her mother was a housekeeper. Marsha started showing interest in women’s clothing at the age of 5. When she would wear women’s clothes, she described that this reflected her sense of self, and made her feel the most authentic. She began to get bullied and harassed by other children including a violent encounter. Immediately after graduating highschool, Marsha moved to New York City with a bag of clothes and $15 in her pocket. Once she was living in NYC, Marsha lived authentically as a woman and adopted the name Marsha P Johnson. The P stood for “Pay It No Mind” which was her motto. Rights at this time for LGBTQ+ individuals were extremely minimal and limited and New York State was still in the midst of persecution of these individuals. Marsha went on to engage in the resistance at the Stonewall Inn on June 26, 1969. Police raided the bar and primarily arrested gay men. Marsha was considered on the front lines of this riot, and a pivotal woman in history who stood up for gay and trans individuals and demanded they be respected and given justice. She was an important member of the gay rights movement. The National Women’s History Museum describes “In 1970, Johnson and Rivera founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR), “an organization dedicated to sheltering young transgender individuals who were shunned by their families.” The two also began STAR House, a place where transgender youth could stay and feel safe. STAR House was of personal importance to Johnson and Rivera as they had both spent much of their youth experiencing homelessness and destitution.” Marsha P Johnson fought for everyone to be seen as equals and not for their sexuality or gender. She taught people everywhere to stand up for justice, and to live as genuinely as possible.
Kalpana Chawla (1962-2003)
Kalpana Chawla (she/her), was an Indian born American NASA astronaut and aerospace engineer. She was the first Indian woman to fly to space. She first flew on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1997, and was a robotic arm operator as well as a mission specialist. Kalpana earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, India, and moved to the United States in 1982. Two years later, she graduated with a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington, and went on to earn a second Master’s and a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder. She spent a total of 31 days, 14 hours, and 54 minutes in space. While in space, she was documented saying inspiring things such as “You are just your intelligence.” Kalpana was known as a hard worker, and a woman who would fight to no end to see that she and her intellect were represented. Representing strong women in a “male dominated profession”, Kalpana continued working for NASA and defied the traditional stereotypes of a woman. She challenged those around her, and her explorative nature gave her a drive that would be written about in history books.
Storytelling Workshop with Meghann Perry Group
Recently, we hosted a storytelling workshop at our home office in Lexington with the Meghann Perry Group. The focus of this workshop was to help our Peer Mentors develop their presentation skills surrounding subject matter that deals specifically with mental health and emotions. Over the course of the two-day training, we honed the craft of verbal storytelling with the help of skilled professional communicators and focused on productive group work and expressing positive feedback.
Self Love and How To Practice It
By Kylee Harris
What is self-love and how can we practice it? Getting caught up in day-to-day stress is normal. But how do we unwind after a long day and show ourselves love and support? You may not think practicing self-appreciation is important, but it is! Taking care of ourselves both physically and emotionally is actually the key to success and happiness in the real world. Self-love is showing yourself appreciation for both the small and big things. Practicing self-love means you are working to accept and respect yourself fully, cherishing your strengths and weaknesses, and promising to nurture your growth and well-being.
For some, self-love can be learning to find comfort within themself. Whether it be societal, cultural, political, or internal, everyone battles factors that make self-love hard. Judgment from others is a particular fear for most people, which leads to self-doubt and insecurity. It’s easy to say “You shouldn’t care what they think” but everyone knows, that’s one of the hardest things to do. When you practice self-love and appreciation, you’re accepting all those judgments as opinions, and putting them to the side, because as long as you are authentically you, it really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
People practice using many methods. Self love looks different for everyone. As long as you’re practicing it in some way, you’re on your way to being more centered and in touch. For myself, what that looks like is repeating affirmations to myself everyday. “I am balanced, I am worthy, I love my body” are just a few I use daily to motivate myself to practice comfort in who I am. It’s important to practice in many different ways to find what works for you, and what doesn’t. Here are some ways you can practice self love at home.
-Write a letter to yourself
What are the things you like about yourself? What do you think you need to work on? What would you tell your younger self?
-Build a self care routine
When you come home from work or school, light your favorite candle, turn on your favorite show, make your favorite meal, and RELAX! Long term self care routines look like making lists, meal prepping, scheduling appointments, and dedicating time to hygiene.
-Make a gratitude list
What are you most thankful for? Why? What emotions do these things bring to you?
-Practice Affirmations
“I am loved, I am worthy, I am kind, I am strong”
Affirmations can also look like: “I can make it through today” “If I need a break, I can take one”, “I will stand up for myself in tough situations”
-Do something that matters to you
Work, school, whatever you have going on can be busy. You might feel like you don’t have time for the things that you love to do, but taking that time is essential for your well being. Haven’t picked up the guitar in 3 weeks? JAM OUT!
-Have a solo date night
Take yourself out! Who says you need to have someone join you for a nice meal out? Romanticize your life FOR YOU.
-Dance and Movement
Even if you’re not a dancer, letting your body free move is freeing! Turn on some music and appreciate how your body moves and the rhythm in which it sways. No rhythm? Try some yoga poses combined with some deep breathing. What feels natural? What positions felt good? Getting comfortable with your body is the first step to appreciation and positivity.
Any of these activities can help you begin your self love journey. Whether you have 2 hours to practice, or 20 minutes, make sure you are doing something for yourself every single day. It is too often that we forget about ourselves and how important it is to take care of the body, mind, and soul.
School Counselor Appreciation
The first week of February is dedicated to School Counselors, so let’s show them some well deserved praise. We’d like to shout out some of the wonderful counselors we’ve worked with in fighting the mental health stigma! Thank you to all of our hard-working School Counselors! We appreciate all the wonderful work you do.
Attending the Annual Summit on the State of Education in Massachusetts
Peer Mentor Graduation at BAMSI
Hooray for another successful training at BAMSI with this wonderful crew. After four days of learning about suicide prevention and advocating for youth mental health, we have some new leaders! We can’t wait to see you all shine, whether you continue with us or become trailblazers within your own communities
Let’s hear it for the grads!
