Earlier this month, Princeton-based Attitudes In Reverse® (AIR™) established its first out-of-state chapter in Pasadena, CA. The event featured guest speaker Jared Padalecki, star of the T.V. show Supernatural.
The mission of the 100-percent volunteer, nonprofit organization is to save young people’s lives through education about mental health, related disorders and suicide prevention. Co-Founder Tricia Baker and fellow volunteers exhibited at the Supernatural convention in Pasadena and held a chapter launch event nearby in between activities scheduled for convention attendees.
During the chapter launch event, Baker, Hightower and other volunteers presented AIR’s™ IN THEIR SHOES™ exhibit. They also brought the exhibit to Pasadena City College the day before the Supernatural convention began. In this powerful display, the shoes have tags featuring statements representing thoughts youth may have when they have emotional or mental difficulties: for example, “Why can’t I be happy?”; “I don’t belong anywhere.”; “I can’t get out of bed most days.” The goal is to have 456 pairs of shoes in the exhibit to match the average number of individuals aged 10 to 24 years in California who die by suicide each year.
Baker has presented the IN THEIR SHOES™ exhibit at high schools and colleges throughout New Jersey, where the exhibit consists of 232 pairs of shoes to match the number of youths’ and young adults’ lives lost in that state in 2011-2013. The display consistently draws attention and emotion, clearly achieving the goals of building empathy for youth who struggle and encouraging visitors to help their peers get help when needed, as well as to seek help for themselves when needed. In fact, one of the attendees of the launch event was so moved by the exhibit that she donated her shoes right off her feet.
Hightower aims to bring the IN THEIR SHOES™ exhibit to colleges and universities throughout California. For more information and to schedule an exhibit in California, please contact Hightower at jane@attitudesinreverse.org.
To schedule an exhibit on the East Coast; an educational presentation for students on the signs of mental health disorders, eliminating stigma and preventing suicide; and/or Youth Mental Health First Aid instruction for faculty, school staff and other adults, please contact Baker at tricia@attitudesinreverse.org.
For more details about these programs and additional information about AIR™, visit attitudesinreverse.org.
