UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa – With the spring semester in full swing, students are reminded of and encouraged to participate in the numerous health and well-being programs, workshops and services offered by Student Affairs.
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Campus Recreation, Health Promotion and Wellness (HPW), and University Health Services (UHS) have various offerings for students, student organizations and academic classes this spring semester. These workshops, services and programs will help students educate themselves on supporting their mind, body and soul.
“Routinely engaging in activities that contribute to health and well-being is critical for maintaining your physical and emotional health,” says Stephanie Stama, CAPS assistant director of community education and outreach. “Don’t wait until you are feeling depleted to start a wellness regimen.”
Counseling and Psychological Services
CAPS has numerous wellness services and self-help options for students, student organizations or academic classes, such as WellTrack Boost, Life Hacks with CAPS, Life Hack Kits and Nurture in Nature Trails. WellTrack Boost is an interactive resource that supports mental health and well-being through tools and programs. Life Hacks with CAPS are drop-in gatherings offered via Zoom that focus students on developing and enhancing connections with themselves and others. Life Hack Kits are step-by-step wellness packages designed to help students navigate and demystify perplexing parts of being human. Student leaders can use Life Hack Kits to support their members’ emotional health inside and outside the classroom. The Nurture in Nature (NiN) Trails are free and established at various Penn State-associated locations. These trails encourage users to participate in self-guided activities that enhance the benefits of being in a natural environment. All CAPS wellness services can be found on the CAPS website.
In addition, CAPS offers psychoeducational events that focus on mental health awareness and prevention, facilitate numerous support groups, and provide group-level responses for critical events affecting the campus community. CAPS staff can be found offering multiple outreach events during the year. A list of these events can be found on the CAPS Community Education and Outreach webpage.
Campus Recreation
Campus Recreation is well-known for its facilities and fitness classes but also has diverse well-being opportunities. Many include fitness and well-being workshops, CPR certification classes, or outdoor trips with Outdoor Adventures. Most requests must be made at least 14 days in advance. For more information on Campus Recreation’s offerings, visit the health and well-being workshop webpage, or visit Penn State Campus Recreation for more information.
Health Promotion and Wellness
HPW offers educational programs and wellness services to help students learn about various health topics. Workshop topics include alcohol, mindfulness, stress, sleep, nutrition, and safer sex. Wellness services, conducted by trained peer educators, help students learn new information and develop skills to improve sleep, nutrition, relationships, stress and overall well-being. For the complete list of workshops and services, students can visit the HPW workshop webpage and wellness services webpage.
In addition, HPW has many other resources for students, including a quiet space to help students relax and engage in mindfulness activities in 020 Intramural Building and 102 HUB-Robeson Center. Visit the HPW homepage for more information.
University Health Services
As the on-campus resource for students, UHS strives to provide health education and resources to support students’ healthy lifestyles. UHS has many programs that cover several topics, such as breast cancer, health care navigation, sexual health trends, vaccine education, STIs (sexually transmitted infections), testicular cancer and more. Students are encouraged to email uhs-info@psu.edu to request a program.
Visit the Student Affairs website for a complete list of all the health and well-being programs, services and workshops.
Furthermore, the health and wellness units provide additional events and services to help students find a healthy balance. For more information, visit the Health and Wellness homepage.