Northern Michigan University to participate in World Mental Health Day with Mind Over Miles 5K and programming via WellBeing
The Wildcat World Mental Health Day will happen on October 10, which is also the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Day.
Northern Michigan University’s WellBeing Center is hosting Wildcat World Mental Health Day on October 10, the same day the World Health Organization has designated as World Mental Health Day. Northern Michigan University’s Wildcat World Mental Health Day will feature a Mind Over Miles 5K run/walk, awareness boosters for resources available through the WellBeing Center, and provide programming surrounding mental health.
According to an article on Northern Michigan University’s website, Abigail Wyche, who serves as the Assistant Vice President for Campus WellBeing, was quoted as saying of the upcoming events, “Wildcat World Mental Health Day allows us to creatively embrace a holiday that puts our mental health at the forefront, empowering our Wildcats to take the steps they need to prioritize their health and well-being, build community and take advantage of the resources offered by Northern. We look forward to engaging with our students, sharing mental health resources and supporting their journey at Northern and beyond.”
The culminating event of Wildcat World Mental Health Day is the Mind Over Miles 5K run/walk, which will have participants begin from the WellBeing Center, located off of Lincoln Avenue, and will take them on a scenic route around the northern part of campus before finishing the loop back at the WellBeing Center. Registration for the event is open and closes on October 7. According to the Mind Over Miles event registration page, the purpose of the event is to “foster a sense of community and encourage open dialogue about mental health, including our collective ability to positively impact mental health initiatives on campus.”
The creation of the WellBeing Center and a Case Administration and Resource Education (CARE) Team on campus came after Northern Michigan University signed on to the Okanagan Charter in April 2023. The charter is for colleges and universities to promote health, and its two calls to action are: “Embed health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations and academic mandates; and lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.”
The WellBeing Center opened in August 2023 to offer integrated care for students and staff including both physical and mental health care. Housed within the WellBeing Center is the Health Center and Counseling and Consultation Services. The CARE Team was also established at Northern Michigan University in pursuit of the Okanagan Charter and is a team of individuals on campus who provide free support for students, faculty, and staff who are having a difficult time and need guidance or help.
Brock Tessman, the president of Northern Michigan University, was quoted as saying of these initiatives, “Wildcat World Mental Health Day and the Mind Over Miles 5K are great opportunities for us to demonstrate Northern's ongoing commitment to the health and well-being of our student body and campus community. As we continue our implementation of the Okanagan Charter and address our first ‘grand challenge' of supporting people, we are grateful for events like Wildcat World Mental Health Day to host thoughtful programming that addresses the holistic needs of those who call Northern home and inspires dialogue about mental health.”
In addition to Wildcat World Mental Health Day, the WellBeing Center and the CARE Team will be providing resources leading up to the events of the day to help students and staff learn about other important mental health-related dates in October, including the month being National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month, Mental Illness Awareness Week, which is the first week of October, and National Depression Screening Day, which falls on October 5.
For more information about Northern Michigan University, visit the school’s website.