In September 2021, Mason鈥檚 Offices of University Life, the Provost and the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being joined forces and created , an awareness campaign that focuses on improving and sustaining mental-health and well-being for the Mason community through a wide range of experiences and resources.
The campaign targets everyone connected with Mason: students, faculty and staff, families, and the broader community.
鈥淲e're living in a time when we're yearning for greater well-being in our lives and in our communities.听Patriots Thriving Together also means that no community member is alone in challenging times, struggles, or in their personal growth connected to well-being,鈥 said Nance Lucas, executive director and chief well-being officer of the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being.
Since the campaign鈥檚 kickoff, several events or initiatives have launched such as ,听,听听and听Gratitude,听each followed by a handful of activities allowing engagement and interaction from the Mason community.
During Spring 2022, Patriots should expect activities around topics such as , s, Financial Well-Being and .
This semester includes both online events and resources and in-person events during Spring into Well-Being Week, April 18-22. Specifically, there is a revamped available for February 2022 tying into the upcoming Intentional Acts of Kindness topic. This calendar features ideas for putting kindness into action every day of the month along with links (in the ) to related articles and research.
For the Strengths topic, Patriots are encouraged to take the assessment, which allows for a deeper understanding of one鈥檚 strengths and talents. Once the assessment has been taken, various options are available on the Strengths to engage with this new learning. The Importance of Lifelong Learning can be viewed through the page where Patriots can learn about diverse well-being topics.
鈥淭he Patriots Thriving Together campaign has helped the Mason community grow stronger, which has been a lifesaver for many during the pandemic,鈥 said Pam Shepherd, communications director for the Office of the Provost. 鈥Each month the topics have brought out the best in people because they鈥檝e reminded us to look out for others and ourselves. I鈥檓 looking forward to personal growth the upcoming months will bring.鈥
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst that pushed the offices to create the campaign. The landing page, , contains many resources for the Mason community. Every member of the Mason community can access resources pertaining to mental health and well-being.
鈥淲e know it can be hard to find the type of well-being event, resource, or learning experience that fits one鈥檚 needs,鈥 said Melissa Schreibstein, director of well-being programs for the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. 鈥淭he best thing about the Patriots Thriving Together initiative is that it puts all of Mason鈥檚 well-being and mental health resources in one, easy-to-find online location.鈥