In September 2021, Mason’s Offices of University Life, the Provost and the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being joined forces and created Patriots Thriving Together, an awareness campaign that focuses on improving and sustaining mental-health and well-being for the Mason community through a wide range of experiences and resources.
The campaign targets everyone connected with Mason: students, faculty and staff, families, and the broader community.
“We're living in a time when we're yearning for greater well-being in our lives and in our communities. Patriots Thriving Together also means that no community member is alone in challenging times, struggles, or in their personal growth connected to well-being,” said Nance Lucas, executive director and chief well-being officer of the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being.
Since the campaign’s kickoff, several events or initiatives have launched such as Mason Chooses Kindness, Mason Kindness Ambassadors, BIPOC Well-Being Month and Gratitude, each followed by a handful of activities allowing engagement and interaction from the Mason community.
During Spring 2022, Patriots should expect activities around topics such as Intentional Acts of Kindness, Strengths, Financial Well-Being and Importance of Lifelong Learning.
This semester includes both online events and resources and in-person events during Spring into Well-Being Week, April 18-22. Specifically, there is a revamped Acts of Kindness Calendar available for February 2022 tying into the upcoming Intentional Acts of Kindness topic. This calendar features ideas for putting kindness into action every day of the month along with links (in the PDF version) to related articles and research.
For the Strengths topic, Patriots are encouraged to take the CliftonStrengths assessment, which allows for a deeper understanding of one’s strengths and talents. Once the assessment has been taken, various options are available on the Strengths website to engage with this new learning. The Importance of Lifelong Learning can be viewed through the Thriving Together Series page where Patriots can learn about diverse well-being topics.
“The Patriots Thriving Together campaign has helped the Mason community grow stronger, which has been a lifesaver for many during the pandemic,” said Pam Shepherd, communications director for the Office of the Provost. “Each month the topics have brought out the best in people because they’ve reminded us to look out for others and ourselves. I’m looking forward to personal growth the upcoming months will bring.”
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst that pushed the offices to create the campaign. The landing page, thrivingtogether.gmu.edu, contains many resources for the Mason community. Every member of the Mason community can access resources pertaining to mental health and well-being.
“We know it can be hard to find the type of well-being event, resource, or learning experience that fits one’s needs,” said Melissa Schreibstein, director of well-being programs for the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being. “The best thing about the Patriots Thriving Together initiative is that it puts all of Mason’s well-being and mental health resources in one, easy-to-find online location.”