The KyleCares Foundation presented Franklin High School’s Active Minds chapter with a trophy recognizing the group’s mental health advocacy and student-led initiatives during Kylepalooza on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Lake Pearl. (Courtesy Franklin Public Schools)
FRANKLIN — A student group at Franklin High School dedicated to reducing the stigma around mental health and fostering dialogue was recently awarded a grant to help continue its mission of supporting student wellbeing.
Franklin Public Schools is pleased to share that the Franklin High School-based chapter of Active Minds was awarded a $4,000 grant from the KyleCares Foundation to support its student mental health initiatives.
Franklin High School and its Active Minds group were honored on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Kylepalooza, an annual gala held by the KyleCares Foundation at Lake Pearl. The KyleCares Foundation, a North Attleboro-based nonprofit established in 2019, is dedicated to promoting open communication about teen and young adult mental health, with the goal of eliminating student self-harm and suicide. The KyleCares Foundation was founded by the Johnson family, following the tragic death of Kyle J. Johnson by suicide in April 2018 at the age of 19.
The $4,000 grant recognizes the student-led chapter of Active Minds at Franklin High School for making an impact through its many activities and initiatives that encourage people to seek help amid mental health struggles. The group strives to make this easier for students by reducing the stigma surrounding the topic and promoting healthy norms.
The KyleCares Foundation highlighted several impactful initiatives of the Franklin High Active Minds chapter. Those initiatives included a school-wide assembly featuring Dr. Jonathan Jenkins, who spoke to 1,400 students about managing stress in a healthy way. The group was also honored for its partnership with Unified Sports to hold a charity basketball game, raising more than $1,200 for KyleCares. The Franklin High School Active Minds chapter was also recognized for the collaboration it forged with other Hockomock area schools for two regional mental health summits, including the one hosted at Franklin High School.
Last year, Active Minds honored its Franklin High School group as its May Chapter of the Month, which recognized the student group for several other works as well, including the creation of the Hope Garden in a school courtyard, organizing Mental Health Awareness Week and growing in membership, jumping from 10 members in its first year to more than 30 committed volunteers.
Franklin High School School Adjustment Counselors Anne Davies and Jennifer Briggs — serving as advisors to the Active Minds student group along with Health and Physical Education Teacher Michelle Hess — attended Kylepalooza and accepted a trophy on behalf of the group.
“It was an inspiring event that gave us incredible momentum and fresh ideas for the upcoming year,” Davies said. “Our student members are eager to build on this progress, and we look forward to collaborating on how best to utilize these funds to support our school community. This funding recognizes our chapter’s dedicated efforts to foster open conversations, reduce stigma, and support student well-being.”
Superintendent Lucas Giguere and Franklin High School Principal Dr. Maria Weber congratulated the student-led Active Minds group for its accomplishments, the grant and the recognition the group received from the KyleCares Foundation.
“This grant from the KyleCares Foundation is a fitting recognition of all the wonderful work our student members of Active Minds have been doing to help the school community to address mental health awareness,” said Principal Dr. Maria Weber. “We look forward to what our Active Minds students have in store for the future and we are thankful for their efforts to bring this important topic to the forefront of discussion. Congratulations to all the students involved and their staff advisors.”
“We are incredibly proud of the work our Active Minds students have accomplished and grateful to the KyleCares Foundation for recognizing all that they’ve done to shine a light on student mental health,” said Superintendent Lucas Giguere. “Their commitment to this cause has made a positive difference among their peers and throughout our school community.”
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From left to right, School Adjustment Counselors Anne Davies and Jennifer Briggs received a trophy from the the KyleCares Foundation on behalf of Franklin High School’s chapter of Active Minds. (Courtesy Franklin Public Schools)
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