Published in the December 10, 2015 edition.

WAKEFIELD — Wakefield Memorial High School is one of 98 public high schools in Massachusetts that are teaming up with the New England Patriots for Game Change: The Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership.

Game Change: The Patriots Anti-Violence Partnership is an innovative approach to violence prevention education. The program, funded by the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, will provide training for students, faculty and coaches at 98 public high schools across Massachusetts.

The program will train 196 school personnel at six regional trainings across Massachusetts beginning in January. The trainings will be conducted by Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), a nationwide leader in addressing violence prevention. Run by the Center for Sport in Society at Northeastern University, MVP uses a sports-themed curriculum and employs collegiate athletes and former professional athletes as trainers.

The program will also include online support tools for schools and an evaluation component to determine the effectiveness of the program in changing attitudes and behaviors.

In addition to Wakefield, Middlesex League schools taking part are Reading Memorial High School, Stoneham High School, Watertown High School, Winchester High School and Woburn Memorial High School.

In the second phase of the program, to begin in the fall, MVP will also provide more in-depth trainings to 30 high schools in partnership with local domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy organizations. The organizations will help train school staff and parents and work with school administrators on policies and services for students and families dealing with violence.