In an effort to create an open and safe forum for students and staff to express secrets, regrets, fears, desires, talents, hidden acts of kindness, or confessions, DFEi is bringingMental Health Advocacy Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Frank Warren’s PostSecretU to the college. DFEi are the first educational institute to bring this international Active Mindsprogram to Ireland.
The PostSecretU program serves as a gateway to opening the conversation about many of the hopes, dreams, fears, problems and stresses that they are experiencing but might not feel comfortable talking about.
PostSecretU is an Active Minds program created in cooperation with, and with the support of, Frank Warren, author of six best-selling Post Secret books and creator of the popular PostSecret blog.
The Personal and Professional Development students selected the PostSecretU program late last year after assessing several events to bring to the college. John McFadden who delivers the subject said “This program brings to life the professionalism of running a college wide event with a global brand while allowing the whole DFEi community to express anonymously personal thoughts in a safe and supported environment”. Adding “It really was the ideal project for the students to work on in the context of their Personal and Professional Development studies”.
This program supports Active Minds’ ongoing efforts to change the perception and conversation about mental health and wellness on college campuses and in the greater community. Many of us carry secrets that we are too embarrassed or ashamed to admit to others. All too often, these secrets relate to or impact our mental health. PostSecretU aims to break down the barriers by creating a safe, comfortable and anonymous space to share your secret. “PostSecretU brings people together and allows those who have felt isolated or alone to connect to a larger group,” says Frank Warren. “It starts a conversation that brings people together.”
DFEi will be collecting secrets between Wednesday 27th of February and Wednesday 6th of March in the caretaker’s reception in the college. A display of the secrets will open in DFEi on Thursday 21st of March and will run for a one-week period. With all PostSecretU materials and events, DFEi will be distributing information about local mental health resources, to encourage everyone to follow-up and speak to someone about their secret if needed. It is the hope and intention that this program will help to create a community of support where our peers feel like their thoughts, feelings, and fears matter and can be shared more freely.
About Dún Laoghaire Further Education Institute
A Dublin and Dún Laoghaire Education and Training Board (DDLETB) college, Dún Laoghaire Further Education Institute (DFEi) provides excellent training in aspects of media and sound, health and sport, design, sustainable energy, computing and technology, and arts and humanities. If you are attracted to any of these disciplines, we welcome the opportunity to teach, instruct and inform you. The skills you learn with us will start you on the road to a successful career. www.dfei.ie
About Active Minds
Active Minds is a national (USA) non-profit organisation and the leading voice in college student mental health. Active Minds supports a rapidly growing network of hundreds of student-run chapters on campuses across North America, like Active Minds at Dún Laoghaire Further Education Institute. All chapters work towards one goal: to create a campus culture where it is okay to speak openly about mental health and seek help. Headquartered in Washington, DC, Active Minds empowers students to change the conversation about mental health one campus at a time. Learn more at www.activeminds.org.
About PostSecret
PostSecret is an ongoing community art project started in 2004 by Frank Warren. He invited people to mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a handmade postcard and over the years since he has received well over 1 million secrets from around the world. Frank curates and posts a selection of secrets every Sunday at: https://postsecret.com/. Frank has published six best-selling books based on the project and now travels across the country sharing the funny and inspiring stories behind the secrets. Since the beginning, PostSecret has promoted awareness and fundraising for suicide prevention and in 2011 Frank was awarded the “Mental Health Advocacy Lifetime Achievement Award”.
Link to Frank Warren’s Post Secret TED Talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0H1zU2ytxA
Picture Credit all pictures by Patrick Kiersey except PostSecretU Video event by John McFadden.