OCNews

Okanagan College recognizes that this academic year, taking time for student mental health is more important than ever. That’s why a popular wellness resource for students is expanding its offerings for students at all campuses.

Wellness Wednesday online workshops are happening once a month this fall semester, with a special focus on strategies to help students cope during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative is part of the Flourish Wellness Project, which started at the Penticton campus three years ago, and is expanding this year through the use of technology to include all four campuses.

“Wellness Wednesday workshops are designed to be psycho-educational, which means they will help you to learn about topics related to psychology and how to take care of yourself,” says Sarah Lefebure, Counsellor on the Okanagan College Penticton campus. “We hope that these workshops will provide a safe place for you to reflect on your own wellness and to feel a sense of connection with others in these isolating times.”

Workshops will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. with the following schedule:

• Sept. 23: Building wellness into your semester
• Oct. 21: Strategies for managing stress
• Nov. 18: Making room for emotions in challenging times
• Dec. 16: Acknowledging growth: what are we learning about ourselves through the pandemic?

The workshops will be led by Lefebure and colleague Samantha Johnson, Counsellor on the Salmon Arm campus.

The free workshops are open to OC students and employees, who can self-register for the Flourish Wellness Workshop Moodle (online learning program). Participants can attend as many workshops as they choose, and are encouraged to have paper and writing implements to take notes and explore the topics being discussed.

For information about the Flourish Wellness Project, visit www.okanagan.bc.ca/flourish.