Wellness Classroom Visits reach more than 46,500 students

As days grow shorter and cozy layers become essential companions, the pressure of looming deadlines, exams, and finding the perfect balance between school and life can feel especially heavy for first-year students who are still learning to manage their workloads. 

In view of this reality, Student Wellness Services, in collaboration with the Community Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy, launched the Wellness Classroom Visits initiative. The program aims to bring wellness tips and academic strategies directly to students, eliminating the need for them to seek out these resources in their own time. 

Having seen great success in previous semesters, the Health Promotion and Outreach Team at Student Wellness Services, which leads the initiative, hopes to carry that momentum forward into Fall 2025. 

In 2021, Dr. Melissa Boyce, PhD, a professor in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts, was driven by a deep desire to support student mental health across campus. 

To determine how best to offer this support, she partnered with the Campus Mental Health and Well-Being Strategy to conduct a strengths and needs assessment, interviewing undergraduate students. Their insights helped identify four key objectives to guide efforts in improving student well-being. From this research, the idea for Wellness Classroom Visits was born. 

The initiative officially launched in Fall 2021 as a collaboration between the Teaching and Learning Subcommittee, Student Wellness Services’ Health Promotion and Outreach Team, and campus partners such as the Chancellor Cuthbertson Student Success Centre. 

What are Wellness Classroom Visits?

The visits are brief, five-minute presentations delivered in classrooms on a range of topics aimed at enhancing students’ study habits and overall well-being. Led by trained peer helpers, these visits not only provide practical strategies, but also offer personal insights. 

Peer helpers share their own experiences with mental health challenges, e.g., burnout, helping to foster a sense of connection among students and to promote the fact that these setbacks are universal and 100-per cent valid. After the presentation, instructors are sent additional resources to share with their students. 

Presentation topics for Fall 2025 include:    

• Building Social Courage and Meeting New People
• Making Positive Behavioural Changes
• Managing Burnout
• Mindfulness for Stress Management
• Overcoming Perfectionism
• Practicing Self-Compassion
• Prioritizing Wellness
• Study Smart, Stay Well: Organizing your studying with self-care in mind
• Study Smart, Stay Well: Transforming studying into meaningful learning
• Study Together, Stay Well: The benefits of learning with peers
• The Exam Mindset: Developing a positive approach to exam preparation
• The Writing Mindset: Discover your writing rhythm 

Visits positive for both students and volunteers

The initiative has continued to receive positive feedback from both students and volunteers.  

“Reaching hundreds of students with the Wellness Education Team has helped me build confidence in public speaking and has taught me how to effectively communicate mental well-being strategies in a manner that resonates with my peers,” said volunteer Omar Hassan.

Another volunteer, master's student Olivia Buth, said that while students understand mental health as a concept, "I've recognized that awareness alone is not sufficient. The true value of our visits lies in timely reminders — especially during high-stress periods when students are overwhelmed by academic pressures. 

"Students need to hear that their mental health matters, self-care is not selfish and seeking help is a sign of strength." 

Anonymous student feedback has also been positive:

"I really enjoyed having this presentation because at the start of university, as an undergraduate student in my first-year program, there was a lot of stress that fell on my shoulders. But having this presentation was helpful because it helped to remind me to take one step in front of the other,” wrote one student.

Added another: “I think it is a great resource to inform students about the various ways that mental health can impact their performance in school, alongside how important self-care and balance are on an everyday basis.” 

The project has so far held more than 630 visits, with more than 46,500 students reached. 

With Wellness Classroom Visits continuing to take place this semester, Student Wellness Services aims to reach even more students and offer them the wellness tips, academic strategies and resources they need to be successful in their university careers.

If you are an instructor interested in requesting a Wellness Classroom Visit for this semester, please see the Wellness Classroom Visits site where the link to the request form is available.