UGA to promote student well-being during #BeWellUGA Week

The week of Oct. 2-8 will feature well-being events, fundraising and resources.

As students reach the mid-point of the semester, the University of Georgia is reaffirming its commitment to student mental health and well-being with #BeWellUGA Week. From Oct. 2-8, students will have opportunities to engage with resources and activities across campus, expand their understanding of their own well-being, and contribute to student well-being initiatives.

Beau Seagraves, associate vice president for student well-being, said that the week is designed to help students realize all the resources campus provides, as well as all the factors that feed into their overall health.

“It’s easy for students to forget to consider their own well-being until they find themselves in a tough spot, or in crisis,” said Seagraves. “We want to help them consider these things throughout the semester, and to see all the ways the university supports them. Taking care of each other and themselves is a key part of their success at UGA.”

Part of UGA’s expanded efforts to promote student mental health and well-being, the university’s Well-being Resources initiative provides a broad range of clinical and non-clinical resources to promote student well-being and success, creating a more active, healthy, and successful student body.

Ranging from “Dogs and Donuts with the Police” to yoga at Lake Herrick, organizations and departments from across campus will host dozens of programs focused on general health and wellness.

Students will be able to compete against their peers at several colleges across the nation to see which student body can get the most people vaccinated against the flu. The event, part of the University Health Center’s #flUGA initiative, is scheduled for Oct. 5 at the Ramsey Student Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and is open to students, faculty and staff with no appointments necessary or out-of-pocket costs for students.

Continuing that spirit of friendly competition, UGA will compete against Auburn University in a week-long giving challenge known as “Beat Week.” The fundraising challenge spans all university programs, but a student-led initiative will support mental health programs specifically. Leaders from different student organizations will be encouraging students to donate to the Sunshine Fund, which provides financial assistance to students seeking mental health care treatment. A private donor has agreed to match up to $30,000 raised by the students in order to maximize the efforts. On Oct. 8, when the Bulldogs face the Tigers on the football field, the players will wear a helmet decal in support of Hilinski’s Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization formed to promote awareness and education of mental health and wellness for student athletes.

At 7 p.m. on Oct. 7, Stegmania III will welcome UGA students and fans to introduce the men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as their new coaches, to the campus community. The event will include slam dunk and 3-point contests, and the first 2,000 students will receive a free t-shirt.

Seagraves said that events like Stegmania are perfect examples of the type of engagement that benefits student well-being.

“So much goes into helping a student feel healthy and well,” he said. “Whether you’re meeting friends at a basketball game, attending a movie on Myers Quad, or enjoying a run at the Botanical Garden, it’s important for students to enjoy their time here and to feel that sense of connection and belonging.”