Mental Health Education
WPI offers a number of wellness education and training opportunities to help our community center on well-being. Read below about our newest offering, as well as existing and enhanced programs.
An effective conversation can help more than you think—it can help change someone’s life.
Kognito: A New Tool to Support Others
Everyone should be able to recognize signs of distress and know what to say if a friend needs help, but that's not always easy to do. With the introduction of Kognito, WPI is offering students, faculty, and staff the tools to help develop these kinds of effective conversational skills.
Kognito is an online simulation that lets you practice conversations with a virtual student, so you’ll know what to say in real life. You’ll learn how to determine when someone needs help, how to talk with someone you’re worried about, and where to turn for help.
WPI introduced Kognito training to the campus community in Fall 2022. See the results of an engagement survey following our initial efforts here.
All students and employees at WPI are required* to complete Kognito simulation.
How can you access Kognito? Log in to wpi.kognito.com with your WPI ID and password to begin your training.
Employees may also find Kognito on the Learning Academy.
Students may find Kognito on the Hub:
It is also in the App Marketplace
The simulation takes 45-50 minutes; you do not need to complete it all in one session—your work will be saved for when you come back.
*Opt-out option: Although we believe mental health and suicide prevention topics are important and that the Kognito program is an effective tool to address them, we want to acknowledge that the topic of mental health may impact people in different ways based on their life experiences. If you believe completing these modules will cause you undue distress, please fill out this Kognito Opt-out Request Form to opt out of participation.
Do You Have Questions About Kognito?
For technical assistance with Kognito, contact support@kognito.com.
For questions or comments about Kognito at WPI, contact
- Paula Fitzpatrick, Director of the Center for Wellbeing, (pfitzpatrick@wpi.edu)
- Matthew Barry, Assistant Director for Community Development, Student Development and Counseling Center, (mbarry@wpi.edu).
Learn About WPI's Other Programs
If you—or your department or student club or organization—are interested in more intensive learning, contact the Center for Well-Being and the Student Development and Counseling Center for programs like:
- Recognizing and Responding to Student Distress (RRSD), a one-hour session to help you identify student distress and talk with students.
- Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR), a one-hour session to help you talk with someone you think may be having suicidal thoughts. Faculty and Staff only at this time.
- Student Support Network (SSN), a 6-part training series to help you become a better listener and supporter of your peers. Students only at this time.
Find Additional Resources
For additional resources, visit the Student Development & Counseling Center (SDCC) website for more information about peer support programs, trainings, how to help a student, or where students can find help. And visit the Center for Well-Being, WPI's evidence-based, cross-functional hub for campus efforts aimed at improving student, community, and campus well-being.