The Wellness Project: Building Balance and Community at UFV

During my first year of teaching, I noticed that many of the students were struggling to maintain their physical and mental wellness amidst the stressors and demands of student life. Positive coping strategies seemed to fade as the semester progressed, and their academic and clinical performance often reflected a similar decline. With hopes of supporting students to find a healthier, more sustainable student-life balance, I created an initiative called ‘The Wellness Project’. This project utilizes the Instagram platform to share weekly challenges that promote the various domains of wellness. Students are encouraged to complete the weekly challenges with a friend or peer to bolster social wellness and enhance student engagement.

After successfully piloting this project in 2022, I have continued to facilitate it once a year, inviting UFV staff and faculty to also participate. By including staff and faculty, we can cultivate a sense of camaraderie and reciprocity with our students. To incentivize and celebrate participation, a prize is awarded at the end of each weekly challenge, and a grand prize is awarded at the end of the 6–10-week project. Since the inception of this project, various businesses in the Chilliwack, Abbotsford, and Mission communities have generously donated gift cards and merchandise for the weekly giveaways, fostering a sense of connectedness between UFV and our community partners. This year, the project is generously funded by the Faculty of Health Sciences and the UFV FSA. Overall, The Wellness Project strives to echo UFV’s mission to engage our learners, transform lives, and build community.

The Fall 2025 cycle of The Wellness Project launched this week! I invite you to follow our Instagram page and participate in the weekly challenges. Let’s encourage our colleagues and students to cultivate wellness this semester.