05/13/2026
Friday May 8th, eleven Danvers High School students in DanversCARES attended the Empowering Youth Voices (hosted by the Nan Project and supported by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health) conference with chaperones Ms. McNeilly, school counselor, and Ms. Robinson, English teacher and DanversCARES Youth Advisor.
To start the day, students heard from amazing leaders in the mental health and public policy space including the Nan Project founder Jake Cavanaugh. Lexy Froment, a mental health advocate and social media influencer spoke to students, many of whom were able to recognize her and connect to her vulnerability. Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell spoke about her journey to today and her impactful words left a mark on everyone in attendance. Representative Sally Kerans spent time visiting our DHS student table to learn what our students care about.
Students attended multiple workshops that taught skills such as how to utilize journaling as a coping skill in a challenging moment, how to have meaningful communication with others, and how to manage social media to reduce its negative impact on your mental health. Chaperones attended separate workshops about local resources for youth and discussed strategies for support. Our group connected with students from other schools, enjoyed a meal together, and all took home valuable lessons.
Photo description:
Pictured here left to right, top row: Representative Sally Kerans, students Maggie Lamar, Paige Sherman, Ella Cangiano, Madyson Danish, Kenzie Boudreau, Lauren Garofalo. bottom row: Naclee Sarolie Marcellus, Oluchi Nnanna, Ms. McNeilly (School Counselor), Mrs. Robinson (English teacher and DanversCARES Youth Advisor), Kylee Collins, Ella Guitard, Kimberly Jimenez