Universities are getting creative with virtual offerings. And we want to highlight them! Check out these “Virtual Program Highlights” from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), Schoolcraft College and Idaho University.
Four-Week Wellness Challenge
Rob Simels, the director of Recreation at TCNJ, shared during the month of April they are conducting a four-week Wellness Challenge. There will be a different theme each week: Eat, Sleep, Move, Breathe, in that order.
Each day, the department will post a challenge to social media that helps students practice self-care. In order to participate, students need to tag the TCNJ Recreation and Wellness department in a post after they complete the challenge. A winner will be chosen each week out of those who complete the most challenges. And at the end of the challenge, points will be added up, with an overall winner chosen. Prizes consist of an assortment of items that align with each week’s theme.
“The hope is to educate them on self-care and spread the word to their friends to do it as well,” said Simels.
Stay Well Resources
The University of Idaho Recreation and Wellbeing department has created a Stay Well Resources page on its website.
Rusty Vineyard, the executive director, said their initial intent with the page was to launch virtual fitness offerings and resources for the campus and local community. “Since we launched the page to our community, it has evolved and continues to do so,” he said. “We have added more resources around Health Promotion, Mindfulness, Outdoor Activities, Ask a Trainer, food pantry locations, etc.”
One specific offering he highlighted was the Wellbeing During Uncertainty workshop on April 8. It was created after surveys and discussions with students and the campus community revealed mental well-being in uncertainty to be a prevalent theme. “This is a workshop open to anyone who might need to learn tips to enhance their mental, physical and social well-being,” said Vineyard.
The workshop will look to help attendees define well-being and brainstorm ways to stay motivated during this time. Anyone can register for the workshop here.
Ultimately, Vineyard said the goal of their Stay Well Resources is to help students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community to adjust to the new normal while staying well.
No Weights, No Problem Challenge
At Schoolcraft College, the most recent challenge has been one of the staff’s favorites so far.
Megan Monthei, the membership services specialist at the Fitness Center, said they are trying to work with and inspire students through their challenges.
“The ‘No Weights, No Problem Challenge’ helps the students be creative while they are stuck at home. This challenge is very easy to run and participate in,” said Monthei. “It only requires the students to use something they already have at home to replace the weights they would normally use at the gym. They upload a video on social media and tag us in their posts. We have a had a lot of positive feedback and people are really enjoying this challenge. We are trying to keep our community inspired and engaged during this time.”
She explained the challenge encourages students and members to find the most creative thing at home to use as weights. At the end of the week, the staff will pick their favorite video. The winner receives a Fitness Center prize pack.
“We’ve had a lot of laughs and positive feedback so far,” said Monthei. “It’s a really easy challenge and helps people feel engaged while at home. You can see our original post on our Instagram. Our professional staff had fun with it as well.”
