The college’s Mental Health and Wellness Fair will return with a variety of participants and offerings from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 1, between Marano Campus Center and Penfield Library.
Free for all employees and students, the annual fair brings together local services, vendors, student organizations, offices and academic departments to promote health and wellness at SUNY Oswego. Vendors and exhibitors will offer activities, giveaways and wellness education to campus community members.
“The Mental Health and Wellness Fair is a great opportunity for folks to have a fun experience learning about our resources on and off campus, as well as participate in activities that promote a holistic approach to well-being,” said Kate Wolfe-Lyga, director of the Counseling Services Center.
“There will be exhibitors from campus departments, student orgs and community partners tabling at the event,” Wolfr-Lyga added. “We also have some ‘main attractions’ such as therapy dogs, build-a-buddy and a photo booth for added fun!”
A cross-campus team coordinating health and well-being resources works together on this event as part of a model that includes eight dimensions of wellness, said the group’s chair, Brian Wallace. “We want to make sure that all eight areas are fairly well represented in the fair, so a team collaboration is very important,” said Wallace, who manages the campus Fitness Centers.
“When discussing wellness with students, I often talk about thriving instead of surviving,” Wallace said. “Now, thriving is not easy, especially when balancing work, family, academic and personal commitments. However, we need to find those moments in our everyday life where we can thrive and how to best do it.”
The timing is important, given the importance of students, especially new students, adjusting to the college lifestyle and different environment.
“The fair is the opportunity to best publicize and highlight in person some of our available resources,” Wolfe-Lyga said. “However, resources can be found on the Oz Concern Navigator website. As this platform is new to us, we will continue to populate and improve the listed offerings. However, it is a great place to start. Additionally, campus community members can use the campus events calendar to identify activities that help them meet their wellness needs.”
Wallace noted that the Mental Health and Wellness Fair serves at least two major key purposes.
“First to expose our faculty, staff and students to what is available on campus and in the community that will help our personal well-being,” Wallace said. “Secondly, we hope our participants will walk away with a new idea or strategy that they can use in their everyday life that will get them closer to that thriving state.”
Rain location is the Marano Campus Center concourse and Room 114 in Marano.