UFlourish returns to celebrate campus well-being
By Ramiro Bustamante Torres, November 3 2023—
The University of Calgary is hosting UFlourish 2023 from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15, featuring events that welcome students, staff and community members alike. Events are available in-person, online or in a hybrid format. This is the eighth annual UFlourish with over 50 events over two weeks, with events focused on improving well-being and mental health.
“It started in 2015, in its humble beginnings as a wellness fair put on by staff wellness,” said Dr. Andrew Szeto, Campus Mental Health Strategy director and professor from the Department of Psychology. “And it’s grown into this big celebration of mental well-being on our campus.”
Szeto explained that the aim of UFlourish is to provide workshops, activities and initiatives that focus on personal well-being and creating a supportive environment with the necessary information and knowledge available. He also shared that there are events put on by students and clubs that expressed the need for support.
“There’s a need to know about autistic students, autistic individuals, those who are neurodiverse, right? So we had this new foundation coming in and giving a talk on how do we better support students who are autistic or neurodiverse,” said Szeto.
Amongst the many events, Szeto shared that one to look out for was the Sleep and Our Wellness event as he explained that he struggles to get a good night’s sleep at home with a kid and a new kitten. He also mentioned that there will be sessions during UFlouirsh where the campus community can share feedback on the events and the Campus Mental Health Strategy, through sticky notes, whiteboards and surveys, urging people who participate to leave their comments.
“The Campus Mental Health Strategy is undergoing update and renewal,” he said. “We’ve listened to our campus community for the past couple of years, we’ve heard from everybody on what they think we should direction we should be going.”
For more information about UFlourish events and the Campus Mental Health Strategy, check out their website.