Sheridan’s Student Union (SSU) is supporting student wellness through a gift of $430,000 to Sheridan College.
The gift will support two Health Promotion Specialists – staff members who are dedicated to developing programs and resources which proactively address health and wellness for all students at Sheridan .
The gift comes just two months after another landmark donation from the Student Union to support scholarships and bursaries. SSU President Kyle Budge says making a gift now to support the Health Promotion Specialists is a natural progression that builds on SSU’s commitment to address student needs in all areas of their well-being – whether that’s financial, physical, or mental health.
“Additionally, we hope to establish a system of wellness that extends throughout the college community and fosters a healthy and supportive environment at Sheridan. I am personally looking forward to continuing our work with the Health Promotion Specialists and I am excited to see what great things we can accomplish together.”
The Health Promotion Specialists initially began their work at Sheridan in 2019 and SSU’s support now ensures their work and focus on wellness will continue throughout every milestone of a student’s journey at Sheridan – from the moment they accept their offer to attend, through their pivotal first year, and then right up until graduation.
Over the past two years, the Health Promotion Specialists have collaborated across Sheridan and in the community on initiatives like Thrive Week, the Pardesi Project, which created a series of translated videos to increase mental health literacy and help-seeking behaviour, and the Sheridan Talks Mental Health series to address specific needs of international students. They also helped form essential parts of Sheridan’s Community Wellness Strategy.
In 2020, SSU collaborated with the Health Promoters to create the Eight Dimensions of Wellness – providing access to wellness resources that address student well-being holistically, from emotional and physical health to financial and environmental wellness. This partnership is a critical support from the Whole System’s Approach taken in Sheridan’s Community Wellness Strategy and it has led to the creation of a number of helpful supports and workshops for students to engage with throughout the year.
Maria Lucido Bezely, Dean of Students at Sheridan, says SSU’s gift will now provide the Health Promotion Specialists with the continuity they need to further develop and implement creative, inclusive and accessible wellness programming that meets student needs and addresses barriers to seeking help.
“I want to thank SSU for their gift to support student health and wellness at Sheridan. Focusing on proactive health promotion will ensure we can take an upstream, culturally sensitive and accessible approach to cultivate wellness early on for students to help prevent crises later on, and provide students with the resources they need to thrive at Sheridan, and beyond.”
As Sheridan’s campuses re-open to more in-person activities, much of the Health Promotion Specialists work will include both in-person and virtual activities.
Students can learn more about the resources available on Sheridan Central, or visit the our 8 Dimensions of Wellness page for additional resources.