North Attleborough-based KyleCares, Inc., a non-profit that has become a valuable resource for high schools and colleges looking to improve support for students’ mental well-being, has awarded Newport, R.I. Public Schools a $3,000 KyleCares Grant to support the implementation of staff and student suicide awareness and prevention training.
Staff at the middle school and high school were trained during a recent professional development day, and the elementary school staff was trained during a faculty meeting on Feb. 3. An additional training for the health teachers will be provided in the spring prior to the student training, which will be conducted through assemblies at the middle and high school.
“We are so grateful to KyleCares for their generous support and their steadfast commitment to supporting mental health awareness”, noted Chris Ashley, the district’s Director of Teaching, Learning & Professional Development. “Their resources and funding in the near-term help us comply with the recently enacted Nathan Bruno and Jason Flatt Act which requires all public-school districts in Rhode Island to provide this training annually for school personnel and students in grades 6-12. In addition, we are excited to collaborate with KyleCares on future programs aimed at educating parents, decreasing stigma often associated with mental health, and developing a district-wide long-term strategy to support our students’ mental well-being.”
Since 2019, KyleCares has invested $140,000 to bring over 90 mental health workshops, trainings, and stigma-breaking programs to New England high schools, colleges, and their mental health partners, directly engaging more than 27,000 students, faculty, and parents in mental health education and awareness building.
Kylecares is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that helps high schools and colleges in New England support student mental health by connecting schools with mental health resources, facilitating long-term strategies, and funding school-based mental health education, awareness, and suicide prevention programs. Ultimately they aim to eliminate student self-harm and suicide by creating school environments where students and their caregivers have the confidence and support to seek help without shame or hesitation. See more information at www.KyleCaresInc.org.
