The farm visited campus to help students de-stress. Goats, alpacas, donkeys and more were there for students to interact with.

The SWC Peer Educator team hosted a sunset and hot cocoa walk on to help students learn about our active living programming while enjoying hot cocoa and the sunset.

Hamilton Public Health and and the Student Wellness Centre offered free training on the signs of overdose, overdose response myths, safe use and how to give the Naloxone. Free Naloxone kits were provided.

The SWC Peer Educators hosted this harm reduction event for Halloween 2023. Each spook sack that was handed out was complete with harm reduction resources, snacks, drinks, and sexual health supplies.

Residence Life, and the Student Wellness Centre hosted a Halloween themed Spooky Mocktail Night. It was a fang-tastic night of spooky mocktails, candy, prizes, and fun activities while learning about safer substance use!

Celebrated queer joy while we watch Saving Face, a heartwarming film about two women breaking through cultural expectations for love.

The gathering featured an artist guided painting session, snacks, games, and the opportunity to connect with other McMaster Students who are also a part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

A showcase of student art, brought to you by the Student Wellness Centre, the McMaster Museum of Art, and the Advanced Research on Mental Health and Society (ARMS) initiative, in collaboration with the Canadian Mental Health Association – Hamilton Branch.

Displayed in the lobby of the LR Wilson building during Winter & Spring semesters of 2023. Undergraduate and graduate student poetry, paintings, collages, & digital art were featured.

February is Black History Month (BHM) – a time to celebrate the contributions and achievements of Black and African diasporic peoples. The Student Wellness Centre is excited to announce the following initiatives: Door Decorating with Wellness, Black Excellence Fatigue: A Conversation with Dr. Andrews, and our Pioneers of Black Mental Health display.

A fun speed-friending evening where participants got to know each other and make valentine’s cards for loved ones.

The SWC became a proud to be a pickup location partner for the I’m Ready research program. Learn More Here.

Tabling event for students to learn about the Period Equity Project on McMaster’s campus. In partnership with the Okanagan Committee.

Bonus: If they signed up for a free Diva Cup in the Fall semester, they could pick it up at the event!

An opportunity for students to incorporate well-being activities into their daily routines. The SWC had Triple C Farm visit, had a Hot Chocolate giveaway, and launched our new therapy dog program.

Check out a full list of Thrive Week events & activities here.

Hosted by the SWC, SSC, and Residence, it was a fun learning environment for First Years to learn about sexual health, resources, and win some prizes too!

New Wellness Program introduced in Winter 2023. Biscuit and her wonderful therapy partner Rev. Allison Barrett will be visiting the Student Wellness Lounge once a month.

The “…And How Does That Make You Feel?” initiative was an opportunity for to help make the process of seeking counselling feel more normalized and less intimidating. Students anonymously shared their experiences, expectations, and feelings about counselling.

A Mental Health Wellness Outreach Team Initiative.

A strategy for practicing self-care during exam season. Students sign up for 1 of 3 challenges (Sleep, Social Bonding, or Active Living) and complete a series of activities between December 12-19. Students also receive mental health / self-care reminders over text daily!

This project was led by the SWC’s Work Study Students. 

A Social Media campaign addressing the numerous challenges students may face during exam season. Topics included: Self-Compassion, Caffeine Intake, Managing Stress, Substance Use, and Burnout.

A Mental Health Wellness Outreach Team initiative. In collaboration with the Substance Use Outreach Team. 

Social Media campaign outlining 3 components of meal prepping.

1. Cheap Eats – How to Buy Food in Hamilton like a local
2. Food Storage
3. Recipe Inspiration

A Healthy Living Wellness Outreach Team initiative. 

Students registered to learn cooking skills and make some delicious Ginger Tofu Noodle Soup, all for FREE!

In collaboration with MSU Food Collective Centre. 

Burnout is a struggle for many, especially university students. The SWC and SSC Academic Skill hosted this event to help students learn more about burnout and strategies to address it.

Trick-Or-Treat packs were handed out for Halloween weekend. Each pack was filled with harm reduction information, snacks, water, and sexual health supplies.

A Substance Use HeaWellness Outreach Team initiative. 

Archway, Residence Life, and the Student Wellness Centre hosted a Halloween themed Spooky Mocktail Night in the lounge. It was a fang-tastic night of spooky mocktails, candy, prizes, and fun activities while learning about safer substance use!

Students answered skill-testing questions to win sexy prizes like: condoms, lube, and more! This was a one day drop in program with over 300 Safe & Sexy bags handed out. Each bag included comprehensive print materials educating students on topics such as contraception, STIs, consent and more.

A Sexual Wellness Outreach Team initiative. 

Campus Celebrity Mochii visited the SWC Lounge, and MSU First Year Council handed out delicious mochi snacks! It was a fun afternoon where students could destress during exam season.

The SWC Exam Wellness Challenge runs each semester as a way to help students better manage stress and anxiety during exam season. It features 3 wellness based challenges (Sleep Challenge, Nourish Your Body Challenge, & Active Living Challenge), that when completed by registrants, gives them a chance to win a grand prize.

The SWC celebrated Pride in our Student Wellness Lounge. The gathering featured free snacks, a round of Pride themed trivia, and the opportunity to connect with other McMaster students who are also a part of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

The SWC hosted a pop-up recess on campus, having participants play four square, ninja, hopscotch, volleyball, frisbee, and other games. Free snacks were also offered. It was a great way to get outside and stay active!

Free healthy snacks and food trivia in the SWC Lounge during exams.

A Healthy Living Team Initiative. 

There are LOTS of contraception options out there, and each one works differently. To find the method that will work best for you, it’s important to pick the contraception characteristics that are important to YOU.  The #ShopAround campaign featured social media posts and posters around campus to make students aware of their contraception options.

A Sexual Wellness Outreach Team initiative. 

Students could register to meet on campus and take the bus together to the Hamilton market. There, they received a $10 gift card that they were able to spend while exploring all that the Hamilton market has to offer.

While at the event, there was also a fun scavenger hunt and those that took part in the hunt had the chance to win a $25 gift card to Hospitality Services.

A Food Literacy Wellness Outreach Team initiative. 

March in March was a program to created to develop community around movement! Participants registered as a small team or individually (to be added to a team) to work towards getting steps and completing small challenges to get points. The team with the most points won a $25 gift card for Hospitality services for EACH participant on the team!

An Active Living Wellness Outreach Team initiative. 

A workshop on how exercise can improve your mental health, sleep and focus, will support you in your journey of adding more movement to your day. With guest speaker, Dr Jennifer Heisz, who presented some of the key takeaways from her new book ‘Move the Body, Heal the Mind’.

An Active Living Wellness Outreach Team initiative. 

In celebration of Black History Month the McMaster Museum of Art and the Student Wellness Centre came together to bring Black students at McMaster a mindful and creative collage workshop facilitated by stylo starr – a Hamilton based visual alchemist, creative movement facilitator and curator.

Consisting of mindful breathing exercises, gentle seated stretching and a collage making session where participates were encouraged to create spaces that create a sense of liberation and joy, the workshop offered space for uplifting personal well-being and is a chance to tap into your creative mind.

The Student Wellness Centre and the McMaster Museum of Art  co-hosted the ‘Indigenous Art & Connection to Land’ Program in honour of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, residential school survivors, and those who did not make it home.

Through guided looking and reflective exercises, participants engaged with notions of land as represented in work by Indigenous artists from several nations. Participants were connected with art, histories, and issues directly related to the land in which they live and examined their shared responsibility as outlined in the Dish With One Spoon wampum agreement.

It can be overwhelming to navigate the large volume of COVID-19 vaccine information online, especially if you are unsure about the safety of the vaccine. If you or those around you are hesitant to get vaccinated, it can help to have accurate information in a centralized place. On this webpage, students could find answers to many common vaccine-related concerns.