Hey everyone!
Are you interested in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing on campus here at UVic? Are you a compassionate and caring individual looking to make a widespread impact on campus? If so, the Student Life Leadership program (formerly Peer Helping) is accepting applications until March 31!
I have been a part of this program for 2 years and it was by far the best non-academic experience of my undergrad. I was able to work closely with Registered Clinical Counsellors and other professionals to learn listening and helping skills. These skills are invaluable to any helping profession including, but not limited to roles such as: teacher, doctor, nurse, police officer, counsellor, social worker, occupational therapist, health care worker, etc. One of the best skill sets I gained through this program was learning how to help others in distress. They mentored us to effectively approach, listen and refer when someone was in need. Additionally, this program also developed my self-awareness and reflection abilities. I now better understand my values, beliefs and wants in life. Oddly enough, this also really helped my interviewing abilities while going through the interview circuit!
Besides helping other UVic students and learning more about yourself, the Student Life Leadership program also welcomes your creativity and strengths in communication in order to create positive and engaging mental health initiatives. So if you have any ideas or events that you would like to implement, this is the program to join!
The Student Life Leadership program also develops a strong cohesiveness between the leaders. If you are looking for a group that promotes community and a sense of family and collaboration between its members, this opportunity is perfect! I had never met such a fabulous, caring and compassionate group of people till I joined this leadership program. I am proud to say that I met many life-long friends through this program!
Last but not least, this program is expanding to include a consent & healthy relationships stream. I cannot comment too much about this given that it is brand new, however, I know how important this is for the wellbeing of the campus community. So you can decide between the consent & healthy relationships stream or the mental health stream.
Some potential opportunities for future Student Life Leaders in the mental health stream include:
- Facilitating workshops, seminars, and panel discussions on topics related to student mental health on campus
- Acting as advisors for the university to help ensure that the Student Mental Health Strategy is delivered in a way that is student friendly
- Acting as representatives for the Student Mental Health Strategy around campus (e.g., giving classroom talks)
- Organizing campus events focusing on student mental health and the de-stigmatization of mental health issues
- Creating content for the student mental health social media platforms (e.g., being student bloggers)
- Collaborating with other complementary programs and student leaders on campus to create a cohesive, integrated mental health focus in student programming (including helping with training and support for other student leaders)
- Representing the Student Mental Health Strategy at campus events (including tabling and handing out promotional material)
- Supporting events sponsored by the Student Mental Health Grant
Potential opportunities in the consent and healthy relationships stream include:
- Facilitating workshops, seminars, and panel discussions on topics related to consent and healthy relationships;
- Supporting the delivery and promotion of the Bystander Intervention Training program on campus;
- Organizing campus events focusing on consent and healthy relationships (e.g. in relation to Sexualized Violence Awareness Week and throughout the year to create ongoing awareness on these issues);
- Creating student-friendly resources for media platforms (e.g. social media and web resources, blog posts, posters, videos, etc.);
- Collaborating with other student leaders and paraprofessionals on campus to create a cohesive, integrated student programming on consent and healthy relationships (e.g. UVSS Let’s Get Consensual Campaign, Sexualized Violence Awareness Week, etc.);
- Promote issues of consent and healthy relationship at campus events (including tabling and handing out promotional materials);
- Acting as advisors for the university to help ensure that the Sexualized Violence Awareness initiatives are delivered in a way that is engaging and student friendly; and
- Receiving training in providing support to students who have experienced sexualized violence.
If this all sounds good to you, then click the link below to find the application! Good luck!
https://www.uvic.ca/mentalhealth/students/leadership/index.php
The views expressed in this blog are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the University of Victoria. I monitor posts and comments to ensure all content complies with the University of Victoria Guidelines on Blogging.