We live in a society steeped in stress and anxiety.
There are unprecedented financial worries, pressures to excel on the work front and in school, and it’s a 24-7 online existence. These influences, when coupled with resource rationalization, stigma and an overwhelmed healthcare system, make it seem that help is out of reach and as a result, many individuals coping with mental health challenges suffer in silence.
Healthy Campus, a project supported by York University’s Academic Innovation Fund (AIF), is working to change that reality by promoting pan-University awareness and conversation about the importance of physical and mental wellness. Recognizing that both are major factors in academic success, the project is fostering a network of collaborations to support peer mentors, faculty, staff and the families of students, in a quest to aid student success.
“If students are well, they will have a more positive university experience. If they are not well, it is going to be much harder for them to invest in their studies or co-curricular activities; they won’t be as connected to their school,” says Healthy Campus Project Champion Leah State, coordinator of Health Education & Promotion in Student Community & Leadership Development (SCLD).
“We can’t afford not to invest in our students’ wellness,” says State.
Starting from far left: Sue Vail (Associate Vice President, Teaching & Learning), Roger Kelton (Undergraduate Program Director), Elizabeth Fung, winner of 
