Massasoit Community College to host 2025 Active Minds Send Silence Packing® Exhibit on March 10

Traveling Exhibit Aims to End the Silence that Surrounds Mental Health and Suicide

BROCKTON, Mass (February 27, 2025) – Massasoit Community College will host Active Mind’s acclaimed Send Silence Packing® exhibit at the College’s Brockton Campus on Monday, March 10 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. This event is open to the public.

To end the silence that surrounds mental health and suicide, and to connect visitors with mental health resources, the all-day exhibit features personal stories from individuals who have lost a loved one to suicide, and is designed to raise awareness about the impact of suicide and inspire action for suicide prevention. Passersby are invited to walk among the Send Silence Packing backpacks to view the photographs and read the stories attached to them. Many of the backpacks were donated by families who lost a loved one to suicide.

“Every day, faculty and staff at Massasoit work with our students to help them overcome barriers to their success, regardless of their challenges,” said Bill Mitchell, Massasoit’s interim president. “Raising awareness is just a small step we can take to show our students we are here to support them no matter what they need.”

Massasoit’s Health and Wellness and Basic Needs programs are important tools that the College uses to provide students with the help they need. Support includes access to teletherapy, referrals to BAMSI, a food pantry on campus, and access to a range of other social and financial resources.

Since its inaugural display in Washington, D.C., Send Silence Packing has reached over a million visitors and counting with messages of hope and help. Evaluation data attests to the display’s impact: most visitors leave wanting to learn more about mental health and the majority tell three or more people about the display and may reach out to a friend in need or seek help for themselves as a result of experiencing it.

Active Minds recently launched a companion exhibit designed to complement the in-person program: Send Silence Packing: Behind the Backpacks. This virtual, immersive experience gives users an in-depth look at the impact of suicide through personal stories, stigma reduction techniques, and visual components such as videos, photos, and audio.

“I founded Active Minds as a freshman in college following the death of my brother, Brian, by suicide in order to end the stigma around mental health. Stigma is shame, shame causes silence, and silence hurts us all,” said Alison Malmon, founder and executive director of Active Minds. “Send Silence Packing is a highly visible way to combat that stigma, increase openness, and inspire action for suicide prevention. Thank you, Massasoit, for bringing the 2025 exhibit to your community to help continue to spread awareness and inspiring action around mental health and suicide prevention efforts.”

Send Silence Packing: Behind the Backpacks was made possible by a generous donation from the RSM US Foundation.

More information about Send Silence Packing or Behind the Backpacks can be found at activeminds.org/ssp.

Content Warning: This event contains mentions of sensitive topics such as harm and suicide.

About Active Minds: Active Minds is the largest nonprofit in the United States mobilizing youth and young adults to transform mental health norms across society. For more than 20 years, we have equipped the next generation of peer mental health advocates through a variety of programs, including the Active Minds Chapter Network, A.S.K., and Send Silence Packing. Our advocacy, initiatives, and campaigns foster lasting change in how youth view and discuss mental health, encouraging them to use their voices to influence broader conversations and inform mental health supports within their communities. Together, we are building a diverse movement of champions committed to improving mental health for all. To learn more about Active Minds, visit activeminds.org.