COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Noah Kahan is helping a Colorado Springs nonprofit expand its reach by connecting it with his own mental health organization, The Busyhead Project.
Kahan invited the team from The Mindfulness and Positivity Project to his concert in August at Coors Field in Denver, where they joined the mission of The Busyhead Project — an organization that aims to end the stigma around mental health and improve access to resources. The Busyhead Project also made a donation to the Colorado Springs group, helping it serve more people in the region.
The Busyhead Project is named after Kahan's 2019 debut album, "Busyhead," according to the nonprofit's website. Its goal is to make mental healthcare accessible for all.
Before fans headed to their seats at the concert, they were greeted by multiple groups and nonprofits working alongside Kahan to end the stigma of mental illness. The Mindfulness and Positivity Project set up an information table inside the stadium and spoke with more than 3,000 people that night.
"We had a QR code that we got to build song lists that we would then share, song lists that help you get through the tough times or help you enjoy your precious life more," co-founder Jeff Kenefsky said. "That was a really cool opportunity."
The connection came after The Busyhead Project took notice of the work the Mindfulness and Positivity Project was doing with students and teachers.
"They found some of the work that we were doing with students and teachers and said we would love to talk to you about this work and so we got on a Zoom call with them and the next thing we know they said come spend the weekend with us," co-founder Meg Fredrick said.
The Mindfulness and Positivity Project has created digital lessons for teachers to use to help students learn about mental health and wellness. Check out digital lessons here.
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"We'll be in over 200 classrooms in the Pikes Peak region this fall with our lessons, and we trained 350 teachers this summer at our summer teacher retreats," Fredrick said.
The idea for the organization was sparked by tragedies the founders witnessed in their schools.
"This community suffered three completed suicides. So we gathered a team together and said, 'What can we do to make sure that there's no empty chair in any classroom in this community? What can kids learn and implement to make sure that they can connect to their lives and begin a deep and intimate love of their own lives,'" Kenefsky said.
For Fredrick, the mission comes down to one central question.
"We talk about kids when they graduate and walk across that graduation stage and they've got all their AP courses and their college courses and their athletes and scholars and musicians and that's all wonderful. But my whole thing, do they love their lives? Because if they love their lives — everything else is going to work out for them," Fredrick said.
When asked whether loving your life comes easily, Fredrick said it takes work — just like anything else worth pursuing.
"It's like anything else we want be good at, it's a practice and that's exactly what we teach — we have to practice loving our lives, connecting with the people we love, doing the things we love, sort of disconnecting from the things that cause us so much stress and anxiety. But yes, loving our lives is a practice," Fredrick said.
Now, with support from Kahan's organization, that practice will reach even more people.
"The donation from The Busyhead Project is going to help fund those 200 classrooms right here this fall in the Pikes Peak region. In about 70 different schools where teachers will be using those lessons, we're gonna reach over 5,000 students this year and I am really proud of that and I know it's gonna have a huge impact on our community," Fredrick said.
The donation amount made to the Mindfulness and Positivity Project has not been disclosed.
To explore the digital lessons or learn how to partner with the Mindfulness and Positivity Project, click here. To learn more about The Busyhead Project, click here.
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