Wellness Collective Fair brings community together to promote student wellbeing
November 29, 2024
This fair took place just as NorQuest launched its "Ask, Listen, Respect" campus-wide campaign, designed to highlight the importance of consent in everyday situations. From borrowing books and asking for hugs to respecting personal space, the campaign aims to create a safe and inclusive environment for all. Its hashtags, #OnlyYesMeansYes and #ConsentIsAConversation, encourage a culture of consent, emphasizing mutual respect and communication.
The Wellness Collective brought together a diverse array of community organizations that provide vital support services in Edmonton. Guests included groups like the Pride Centre of Edmonton, Momentum Counselling, Nisa Homes, Saffron Centre, Queer and Trans Health Collective, The Family Centre, and the South Asian Network for Addiction and Mental Health (Covenant Health/CMHA Edmonton). These organizations shared resources and information, helping students learn about the wide range of support available both on campus and in the community.
Internal services and wellness supports were also on display, with Student’s Association of NorQuest (SANQC), the Pride Lounge, Safe Disclosure Office, miyo-pimâtisiwin Centre and Violence Prevention Services all exhibiting at the event. The Centre for Growth and Harmony, which organizes the fair, played a central role. The Centre offers counselling, wellness resources, basic nursing services, and workshops to support student health.
“The purpose behind our event is to raise awareness about the different communities that exist within our NorQuest surroundings, and to give individuals a chance to explore not just mental health, but also spiritual and physical health,” said Ruquia Raka, Violence Prevention and Support Advisor at NorQuest. “The main idea is to gain more information about the resources available both on-campus and externally. November 24-30 is also National Addictions Awareness Week, and through our partnership with Recovery on Campus, we’re able to raise awareness about substance use recovery and the support systems in place for students.”
NorQuest’s participation in Recovery on Campus, an initiative supporting individuals who struggle with substance use, further emphasizes a holistic approach to student well-being. By bringing together diverse resources for mental health, addiction recovery, and physical health, the fair encouraged students to make connections with the help available to them.
The Centre for Growth and Harmony offers physical wellness and mental health supports that help to create a safe and healthy campus for everyone. Read more about supports around violence prevention at norquest.ca/vps.
Related stories
See all stories
NorQuest employees team up to combine work and play
The fierce but friendly competition got employees active together and raise important funds for student awards.
June 21, 2023
The power of connection
Lately, I've been finding myself thinking about the power of connection and talking with others. If the past two years have taught me anything, it’s that social connection, shared experiences, and being seen are so important when we’re going through hard things.
March 1, 2022
From vision to action: NorQuest grads changing lives in Edmonton
Learn how Settlement Studies grads Diana Ramirez and Francisco Escobar co-founded an organization to support and empower Latino migrants in Edmonton.