Thanks to our donors, Waterloo students have more support than ever before.
Wellness – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual – is crucial to student success. Your generosity provides a variety of programs, spaces and resources that improve students' health.
Encouraging balance through physical activity and play
Thanks to generous donors, including local company WalterFedy, we’re extending the reach of our programs with specialized promotions and new offerings. In September 2019, we began a large communications campaign, promoting how physical activity improves academic success, community engagement and mental resiliency.
Our students have access to a variety of spaces, teams and clubs funded by donors. In the next 5 years, we have exciting plans to encourage physical activity, including outdoor play and workout spaces.
Building new spaces to socialize, play and reflect
Following renovations, our libraries can better support students’ mental health and wellness while serving their academic needs. New lounges offer a comfortable space to relax and meet with friends, and a multi-faith prayer room supports spiritual wellness and diversity. These new spaces are home to the Library’s student engagement programs, which promote stress relief through educational activities.
This new 65,000-foot facility connects to the west side of the Columbia Icefield building and features a multi-activity turf space. While the space will primarily be used for recreation, intramurals and sports clubs, the climate-controlled space is also available for varsity practices and training. With this new addition, students will benefit from more recreational opportunities throughout the year.
Waterloo students have expressed the need for more social, study, dining and recreation space. We listened, and broke ground on an expansion to the Student Life Centre and Physical Activities Complex. The 63,000-square-foot addition will provide facilities for socializing, multi-faith activities, fitness and dining.
We have new equipment and spaces open now, and exciting plans to promote wellness on campus.
Creating the support that students need
With your help, we’re providing a supportive environment for all Waterloo students. In 2018, more than 50 front-line services staff received mental health first aid training, giving them the tools to provide critical support. Plus, we created online mental health workshops, so students can access resources anywhere, at any time. With up to 800 visitors every month, these online resources are helping many students improve their wellbeing and resiliency.
